Well, here we are at Black Dike, in the Sierrita Mountains southwest of Tucson, Arizona. It's here because it's unique, pretty, and interesting. But it's really here to show you how I'm building and developing a solar property. There are saguaro, trees, mountain & valley views, the old mineshaft, and government land along over half it's boundaries. Our nearest neighbors are about 3/4 mile away! Ah yes, we have privacy!
It's about 18 acres of land at 3,700' elevation in the Sierrita foothills that was privatized by patent of a mining claim called Black Dike #20. It is rolling to hilly, with prominent black outcroppings which brought it's name. As with so many of the small mines in this area, active mining efforts ended around the depression.
Telephone is 3 miles, and US West quoted $132,000+ to extend to Black Dike! So, digital cellular now, and with the rapid advances in digital technology, I expect TV plus phone plus Internet all via satellite will soon become both available and affordable.
There are public roads almost to the property, but the last 3 miles are not as yet county-maintained. A couple of neighbors and myself have spent many hours and much fuel trying to drag-maintain with 4x4's and road-drags!
Our little settin' spot in the valley below this homesite.
Awwwwwww.
It contains a cattle pond ("stock tank").... which is rarely full and even more rarely as pretty as this lucky picture. Its real value is in that it feeds an old hand-dug well which gives us Water in the desert!
The pond is fed by an large arroyo which runs rarely but mightily (this pic shows the overflow during the monsoons). Pond water filtered thru the earth feeds an nearby old (c.1920?) hand-dug well 70' deep, which quite adequately serves our needs.
We had the water tested before using it and 'twas found to be OK except for coliform. After many years of being open to critters and debris that was no surprise. Treating with 50 ppm of chlorine (5 gallons of bleach) cured that, and we simply use a gallon of bleach monthly to maintain, so all's well!
Updated by RonKZ Sunday, August 15, 2004
copyright 1998 - 07 July 2006 by Ron Klotz-Zellhoefer, SolarSense Designs, Arizona & New Mexico
Permission is granted and welcomed for personal application only.
