I'm not too sure what you mean exactly by your setup the way you describe it, but I can tell you that a suction pump cannot raise water more than 34 feet no matter how much power you have. With a suction pump, what's really happening in terms of the physics is the pressure from the atmosphere is pushing down on the water, and this pressure is redirected to lift the water up. But after a certain height, the pressure from the water equals the pressure of the atmosphere and the water cannot be lifted further. And it is solely a matter of elevation with regards to this; the pipe length is only important in terms of cost and friction. again I don't really understand exactly what you mean with your descriptions, but if you plan on using one suction-based pump, forget about it. Pumps that lift water higher than the 34-foot limit are usually centrifugal or PUSH the water with a piston (as opposed to creating a vaccuum or sucking with the piston) if the pump you describe is the latter type, and you mean to say that the pump cannot pump water higher than 98 feet, then you should be fine. What matters is the total elevation (or change in elevation, as it were). Like I said, the length of the pipe will only matter in terms of cost and friction, i.e. you'll get a slower flow rate for the same amount of power output by the pump the longer the pipe is. Of course after a certain pipe length the pump will eventually basically stop working because it will have so much friction to work against and so much water to move even if you're not exceeding the maximum elevation - but this won't happen with the 300 feet of pipe you describe.

Ilene, I don't know if you visit the NWS website like I do. Here's their latest warning for the Caney creek. Actually, there are three back to back warnings . I included all three in case there is info in there that is helpful. I am positive something good will come of all of this, even if we lack the wisdom right now to understand what the good may be. Keeping a positive thought in my head, and a prayer in my heart for all affected by this weather. :) Dawn WGUS84 KTSA 011913 FLSTSA FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 212 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2007 ...MAJOR FLOODING CONTINUES TO BE FORECAST ALONG THE CANEY RIVER AT BARTLESVILLE AND NEAR COLLINSVILLE... OKC147-020312- 212 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2007 THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE CANEY RIVER AT BARTLESVILLE * UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 1 PM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 16.3 FEET. * MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 13.0 FEET. * FORECAST...THE CANEY RIVER AT BARTLESVILLE WILL CONTINUE RISING... CREST NEAR 21.7 FEET TUESDAY MORNING AND THEN BEGIN FALLING. * WHEN THE CANEY RIVER REACHES 21 FEET AT BARTLESVILLE...VERY SEVERE FLOODING WILL OCCUR FROM DEWEY TO OCHELATA. SOME HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN BARTLESVILLE AND SUBURBAN AREAS WILL BE FLOODED. OLD HIGHWAY 75 WILL BE CLOSED. THIS WILL COMPARE WITH THE FLOOD WHICH OCCURRED ON MARCH 3 1975 WHEN THE CANEY RIVER CRESTED AT 20.90 FEET. $$ OKC147-020312- 212 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2007 THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE CANEY RIVER NEAR RAMONA * UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 12 PM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 27.8 FEET. * MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 26.0 FEET. * FORECAST...THE CANEY RIVER NEAR RAMONA WILL CONTINUE RISING...CREST NEAR 28.9 FEET THURSDAY EVENING AND THEN BEGIN FALLING. * WHEN THE CANEY RIVER REACHES 28 FEET NEAR RAMONA...MODERATE AGRICULTURAL FLOODING WILL OCCUR FROM OCHELATA TO THE NORTHEASTERN TIP OF TULSA COUNTY. SOME RURAL ROADS WILL BE IMPASSABLE INCLUDING THE ROAD BETWEEN RAMONA AND TALALA. $$ OKC131-143-020312- 212 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2007 THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE CANEY RIVER NEAR COLLINSVILLE * UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 1 PM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 28.0 FEET. * MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 26.0 FEET. * FORECAST...THE CANEY RIVER NEAR COLLINSVILLE ROSE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE YESTERDAY EARLY AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 35.4 FEET FRIDAY BEFORE DAWN. * WHEN THE CANEY RIVER REACHES 35 FEET NEAR COLLINSVILLE...VERY SEVERE FLOODING WILL OCCUR FROM COLLINSVILLE TO POINTS DOWNSTREAM. CONSIDERABLE FARMLAND WILL BE FLOODED. RURAL ROADS NEAR THE RIVER WILL BECOME IMPASSABLE. THIS WILL EXCEED A FLOOD WHICH OCCURRED ON MAY 11 1993 WHEN THE CANEY RIVER CESTED AT 34.40 FEET. $$

Haven't been on for a while but wanted to see how everyone was doing after the big deluge. Anyone heard from I think Gloria? I seem to recall she lives in Longmont. I hadn't realized how bad it was until I was coming home from work last Thursday evening from Denver and saw the St. Vrain looking like a mini Niagara falls! running barely under I-25. Fortunately for us, we're on higher ground and they evacuated folks in low lying areas to the Mead HS and a church on Rt.66. The St. Vrain is still running high and heaps of streets East of us are still closed. I hope everyone is safe and not severely impacted and hope to see some of you at the swap which i see hasn't yet happened so I am hoping this time to make it since I always seem to miss the Fall swap and I am certain I have some plants to share. Here's a bit of a laugh and smile in all the gloom, the fella and I found this large toad that must have gotten disoriented during the deluge and fell into our window well we think....we haven't a clue how long it's been there but from the looks of it, he's doing pretty good feasting on all the crickets down there. We took him over about a half mile to a "swampy" area and hopefully he'd be happier there!

Yes, we have some truly beautiful and unique gardens in the Midwest. One need only look for them, and they can be found in nearly every major and some not so big cities. The "coasts" should know that the Midwest is more than just a "fly over zone" when it comes to beautiful gardens! I have to be back in Indianapolis this year (for business) and will make a point of looking up as many of these gardens as I can. MacThayer