Finding Water in Ramona
By Darrell Beck

Storage tanks were generally atop a 20-foot tower. Photo courtesy of Darrell Beck

Early settlers in Ramona and other locations in the arid southwest could never have survived or prospered without an adequate and reliable water supply. Thus, it required bold men and women with great optimism and resourcefulness to seek water and water storage.

Those pioneers, much like the Native Americans, generally located near living springs, seasonal streams or natural catch basins of rainfall. Many of the settlers collected rainwater from gutters and downspouts or built catch basins to divert rainfall into cisterns. One ingenious fellow devised a rain collection system that successfully diverted rain or dew from the face of a large granite boulder that was collected into metal rain barrels.

In 1926, the citizens of Ramona saw the pressing need to find a secure water supply. Led by John Bargar, who was often called on to do everything, the people were presented with a water bond proposal and eventually approved a water bond measure by a vote of 96-2. The proposal allowed the purchase of land and the building of a water supply system. The system allowed water to be pumped from shallow wells located within the Santa Maria Creek (now the Ramona Wellfield Park).

However, the primary source of water obtained prior to the formation of the valley's first water district known as the Ramona Irrigation District (RID) was supplied from hand dug wells. The early settlers found that because the valley was underlain by a solid blue-granite basin it would require men with strong backs and some knowledge of mining and the use of dynamite to put down those wells.

Men like A.C. Hodgson, Roy Stephen and others were kept busy putting down wells in the Santa Maria Valley and elsewhere. They generally began by searching for the most likely location, then the men started digging a 5-foot wide round hole.

When they were down about 3 or 4 feet, they installed a hand-crank windlass over the hole. This allowed them to place a large metal bucket attached to a heavy rope that would be used to lower and raise men and tools. It was also used for the removal of debris as the hole was deepened.

When the well had been put down to the 10 foot level, the men placed a wooden form around the outer cut and poured it with concrete. This formed a 6-inch upper casing and curb as a barrier to keep loose soil near the top from collapsing and surface water from entering.

When the concrete well casing had cured and the form removed, the well could then be deepened by hand-drilling, blasting and excavation. It was necessary to have an alert man on the surface to run the windlass and keep track of rope signals from below. It was also necessary to keep a gasoline motor and pump operating in order to remove any water from flowing into the well while the man at the bottom worked. Most hand-dug wells of the era were from 20 to 40 feet deep.

When it was determined that the well was successfully producing a good flow of water, the men stopped excavating, pulled out their equipment and placed a wooden lid on the well curb. Then another crew would be called on who would pour four concrete piers and erect a wooden windmill tower, usually mounted on hinges for easy installation. After raising the mill tower the mill and pump rods would be mounted. Next it would be necessary to lay a pipe line from the well to a storage tank that would generally be atop a 20-foot tower, thus providing gravity flow of water to the house and barns.

The storage tanks were usually equipped with a float valve, overflow and fill gauge. Therefore, it was necessary for the farmer's son, who was told never to waste water, to watch for the tank to fill then rush to the well and close the tail on the windmill, stopping the pump.

It was also the farm boy's responsibility to monitor the well for water level and the presence of snakes or rodents that would occasionally fall into the well. These unwanted animals could be removed by using a bucket dangled on a rope and dipping for the carcass by using the light shined from a mirror into the darkness of the well.

As time advanced and Ramona continued growing, new needs for water increased. Faced with continued drought in the 1950s, it became necessary to increase the water supply.

Beginning in 1955, town leaders began seeking outside water. By 1957 the voters of Ramona approved a bond measure to expand Ramona's water system and create the Ramona Municipal Water District (RMWD) by joining the Metropolitan Water District and importing water from outside sources for the first time.

Darrell Beck is the author of "On Memory's Back Trail: A Story History of Ramona and the Backcountry of San Diego County." For information about the book, contact the author at 760-789-2534.