We have an 80ft. deep, 2ft. diameter bored well. It is all clay except a 1ft. area of sand where the water comes in at 42ft. From December to June/July, the well is so full that you can touch the water. Then, depending on how much spring rain we get, it suddenly starts draining out sometime in June to mid July. Once it starts depleting, the well will go dry in about 2 weeks. The level drops about 150 gallons a day beyond what we consume. We have to buy water throughout the rest of the summer and fall. Then, the well suddenly starts filling again and we have an abundance of water throughout the winter and early spring. We have talked to several well drillers and they have given us various suggestions as to what to do to increase our yield. Some have said that we need a new well. My husband and I have watched this pattern of ebb and flow for several years now, and although none of the well drillers mentioned this as a consideration, we think that it follows the timing of the trees leafing out and then going dormant. Our well is in an area of our property that is heavily wooded with soft maple and mulberry trees. Some smaller trees are as close as 6ft. to the well. We have several large trees that are within a 30ft. radius. We love our trees, even though they aren't varieties that we would have chosen to plant. They are home to many birds and other wildlife. They cool the summer's harsh sun rays, and they slow the winter's winds. But, we can't stay here if we don't have year round available water. We don't want to cut the trees down if they aren't the reason for the water shortage. Could the trees be causing this scenario by soaking up the ground water before it gets to the well, or by the roots actually entering the well? If so, how far away from the well would we need to remove the trees? How large is the root system that we would need to remove? How deep do they go? Our view is limited to the 5" wide pipe that comes out of our well as we don't have a camera to send down to look. So, we don't know if the roots have invaded the actual well, or the gravel around the well casing. If we cut down the trees, I would be concerned about the decomposition of the remaining roots and the methane as well as other compounds that the decaying wood might create in our water. Would that be a consideration? There is a lot to think about and we don't even know if this is the problem or if we are even on the right track. Can you please give us your insight on this situation? Thanks!
