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Water System Planning Worksheet

| Ranch/Farm Name | _________________________________ |

RanchSafety Team January 20, 2026 5 min read

WATER SYSTEM PLANNING WORKSHEET

Operation Information

FieldEntry
Ranch/Farm Name_________________________________
Location_________________________________
Total Acreage_________________________________
Date Completed_________________________________
Completed By_________________________________

SECTION 1: CURRENT WATER INVENTORY

Primary Water Sources

|-------|---------| | Type | □ Well □ Pond □ Spring □ Stream □ Municipal □ Rural water district □ Other: _______ | | Location/ID | _________________________________ | | Estimated capacity (gal/day) | _________________________________ | | Current condition | □ Excellent □ Good □ Fair □ Poor | | Last tested (date) | _________________________________ | | Test results (TDS) | _________________________________ | | Pastures/areas served | _________________________________ |

|-------|---------| | Type | □ Well □ Pond □ Spring □ Stream □ Municipal □ Rural water district □ Other: _______ | | Location/ID | _________________________________ | | Estimated capacity (gal/day) | _________________________________ | | Current condition | □ Excellent □ Good □ Fair □ Poor | | Last tested (date) | _________________________________ | | Test results (TDS) | _________________________________ | | Pastures/areas served | _________________________________ |

|-------|---------| | Type | □ Well □ Pond □ Spring □ Stream □ Municipal □ Rural water district □ Other: _______ | | Location/ID | _________________________________ | | Estimated capacity (gal/day) | _________________________________ | | Current condition | □ Excellent □ Good □ Fair □ Poor | | Last tested (date) | _________________________________ | | Test results (TDS) | _________________________________ | | Pastures/areas served | _________________________________ |

(Copy additional rows as needed)

Storage Inventory

Tank/Trough IDLocationCapacity (gal)TypeConditionFill Method
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Pipeline/Distribution System

Pipeline SegmentFromToLength (ft)DiameterMaterialCondition
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

SECTION 2: CURRENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Livestock Water Requirements

Animal ClassCurrent CountGal/Day EachTotal Gal/Day
Mature cows______________________________________
Bulls______________________________________
Calves (<6 mo)______________________________________
Weaned calves______________________________________
Yearlings______________________________________
Horses______________________________________
Sheep/Goats______________________________________
Other: ______________________________________________
TOTAL__________________________

Seasonal Variation

SeasonAdjustment FactorAdjusted Daily Need
Summer (peak)×1.4_________________ gal
Spring/Fall×1.0_________________ gal
Winter×0.8_________________ gal

Supply vs. Demand Summary

Gallons/Day
Total Supply Capacity__________
Peak Season Demand__________
Surplus/(Deficit)__________
  • [ ] Supply meets peak demand within 25% (Marginal)
  • [ ] Supply does not meet peak demand (Deficit - action needed)

SECTION 3: SYSTEM GAPS ANALYSIS

Identified Issues

IssueLocationSeverityNotes
□ Inadequate supply capacity_________H M L_________________
□ Poor water quality_________H M L_________________
□ Insufficient storage_________H M L_________________
□ Unreliable power for pumps_________H M L_________________
□ Freeze-prone infrastructure_________H M L_________________
□ Algae problems_________H M L_________________
□ Access issues (mud, footing)_________H M L_________________
□ Distribution gaps_________H M L_________________
□ Equipment at end of life_________H M L_________________
□ Safety hazards_________H M L_________________
□ Other: ___________________________H M L_________________

Pastures Without Adequate Water Access

Pasture Name/NumberSize (acres)Stocking CapacityCurrent Water AccessGap Description
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

SECTION 4: FUTURE PLANNING

Herd Growth Projections

YearProjected Herd SizeProjected Daily Water NeedAdditional Capacity Needed
Current_________________________________________N/A
+1 Year__________________________________________________________________
+3 Years__________________________________________________________________
+5 Years__________________________________________________________________

Land Development Plans

  • [ ] New pastures to be fenced: ____________________________________________
  • [ ] New pens/corrals planned: _____________________________________________
  • [ ] Rotational grazing implementation: _____________________________________
  • [ ] Other: _______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

SECTION 5: IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

Priority Improvement Projects

|-------|---------| | Description | _________________________________ | | Location | _________________________________ | | Addresses gap(s) | _________________________________ | | Estimated cost | _________________________________ | | Priority | □ High □ Medium □ Low | | Target completion | _________________________________ | | Notes | _________________________________ |

|-------|---------| | Description | _________________________________ | | Location | _________________________________ | | Addresses gap(s) | _________________________________ | | Estimated cost | _________________________________ | | Priority | □ High □ Medium □ Low | | Target completion | _________________________________ | | Notes | _________________________________ |

|-------|---------| | Description | _________________________________ | | Location | _________________________________ | | Addresses gap(s) | _________________________________ | | Estimated cost | _________________________________ | | Priority | □ High □ Medium □ Low | | Target completion | _________________________________ | | Notes | _________________________________ |

(Add additional projects as needed)

Cost-Share and Funding Opportunities

ProgramAdministering AgencyEligible ProjectsNotes
EQIPNRCSWells, pipelines, tanksUp to 75% cost-share
State programsState ag deptVariesResearch your state
Rural developmentUSDAInfrastructureLoans and grants
Other: __________________________________________________________

SECTION 6: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Backup Water Sources

SourceLocationAccess MethodEstimated VolumeNotes
Backup well___________________________________________
Neighbor agreement___________________________________________
Water hauling___________________________________________
Municipal connection___________________________________________
Other: ____________________________________________________

Emergency Equipment

EquipmentHave?ConditionLocation
Generator (for pumps)□ Yes □ No__________________
Portable pump□ Yes □ No__________________
Water hauling tank/trailer□ Yes □ No__________________
IBC totes□ Yes □ No__________________
Hoses (long enough)□ Yes □ No__________________

Emergency Contacts

ContactNamePhone
Water hauling service________________________________
Well service company________________________________
Equipment repair________________________________
Neighbor (backup water)________________________________
Extension office________________________________

SECTION 7: MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Annual Tasks

TaskTimingLast CompletedNext Due
Water quality testing (all sources)Annually______________________
Well inspectionAnnually______________________
Pond assessmentAnnually______________________
Pipeline pressure testAnnually______________________
Float valve inspectionTwice yearly______________________
Tank cleaningAs needed______________________
Electrical inspection (pumps)Annually______________________

Seasonal Tasks

  • [ ] Clean tanks of winter debris
  • [ ] Verify pump capacity adequate for heat
  • [ ] Assess algae prevention needs
  • [ ] Install/test tank heaters
  • [ ] Verify backup power available
  • [ ] Stock cold-weather supplies

SECTION 8: WATER SYSTEM MAP

(Sketch or attach map showing:) All water sources (wells, ponds, connections) Pipeline routes. Tank/trough locations. Pasture boundaries. Problem areas.

``` [ATTACH MAP OR SKETCH HERE]

Scale: _____________

Legend: ○ = Well ◊ = Pond □ = Tank/Trough ─ = Pipeline

  • - - = Fence line
```

SECTION 9: NOTES AND ACTION ITEMS

Notes

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Immediate Action Items

ActionAssigned ToDue DateStatus
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

REVIEW SCHEDULE

This worksheet should be reviewed and updated:

  • [ ] Annually (minimum)
  • [ ] After any major system changes
  • [ ] After any emergency or failure
  • [ ] When planning herd changes
Download additional copies at: www.animalsaferanch.com/downloads