They Sealed This 1911 Well for 63 Years — Then It Started Producing Water

A $92,000 quote for a new irrigation well, 18 days until planting, and an old artesian well nobody had opened in 63 years. Watch a Nebraska farmer restore a 1911 well that needs no pump. Russ Calder's irrigation well quit four days before planting. A replacement would cost $92,000 and take months. Then he remembered the capped well behind the cottonwoods, drilled by hand in 1911 and sealed since 1961. This story follows the county records, the redevelopment work, the water test, and the real reason the well was buried. In this video: • How artesian wells push water up without an electric pump • What well redevelopment involves (clearing sediment from old casing with compressed air) • Why iron-rich water can still work on a center pivot • What the restored well did during a regional power outage CHAPTERS 0:00 The $92,000 well quote 1:38 The capped well behind the cotto #farming #ranching #wastetovalue #agriculture #farmlife nwoods 3:12 The 1911 county record 3:53 How an artesian well works without a pump 4:55 Breaking open the concrete cap 6:43 $9,200 vs $92,000 7:48 The clog 9:22 41 gallons a minute, no pump 10:03 Testing the water for iron 11:55 Why the well was really sealed 14:20 The old clay drainage tile 15:35 The storm and the power outage Rural Reclaimed tells calm, cinematic stories about rural America, rejected materials, old machinery, and the hidden value in things others throw away. Subscribe for the next one. #ArtesianWell #FarmLife #RuralAmerica