A water cannon isn’t something farmers need every year. But when they need it, they really need it badly.
The need for a device such as a water cannon may increase in future years because scientists predict that climate change will bring us more rain of greater severity.
The water cannon idea has been around a while, but the price tag keeps it from becoming a common implement. It’s a $35,000 investment that may be used once in five or 10 years.
But in the areas where it’s needed every second or third year, producers are starting to take the water cannon more seriously.
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The idea is simple. The water pickup is at the wet end of a long boom with big flotation tires. The longer the boom, the better. The fatter the tires, the better.
The pump is at the dry end, connected to a tractor pto. So instead of a small utility pump that takes forever to pump out each slough, a farmer can have the full power of the tractor pto to pump out sloughs in hours, not days.
Operation is simple. Back the wet end of the boom as far into the pothole as you dare without getting stuck.
The tractor power allows the pump to move about 1,000 gallons a minute. The capacity is key to making the investment pay for itself. If a farmer can stay on top of things and drain six problem potholes in a day, the investment can make sense.
The most common use is during spring seeding. If the producer waits an extra week or two for things to dry naturally, he could miss an important seeding window that will cost money.
Next on the calendar are those destructive June thunderstorms that delay spraying.
The cost of missed spray operations or repairs to sprayers that get stuck in the mud can easily exceed the cost of a water cannon.
Finally, there are the fall rains that can create havoc in the parkland regions with crops that often look promising going into mid-August.
The cannons also can work for forage producers who want to dry out the low spots and move the water up to irrigate the knolls for a more uniform hay crop.
A number of prairie manufacturers have offered water cannons over the years, including Double A Trailers at Two Hills, Alta., located in an area where rain and potholes prevail.
Manager Dave Klassen said most of his water cannon customers regularly use the high volume pumps in the spring.
“They pump out the sloughs and low spots before seeding,” Klassen said.
“They also use them any time during the summer when we get a heavy rain, so the crop doesn’t drown out.
“You can usually back the suction end into the slough about 70 feet. It’s a Berkeley pump and it moves 1,000 US gallons per minute. You need a minimum 75 pto horsepower to make it work.”
In the transport position, the water cannon is 83 feet long. The boom is hinged near the halfway mark and is pushed out to the 111 foot pumping position by a hydraulic ram.
At the outlet, a standard two-inch irrigation pump swivels 190 degrees. This covers an area of 4.12 acres.
Each time the water cannon is moved, it spreads water over another 4.12 acres.
Instead of the irrigation nozzle, the operator can also hook up to a hose to move the water toward a surface drain system.
The Double A water cannon sells for $33,900.
For more information, contact Dave Klassen at 780-657-0008.
