WHEW!!!

Got to CMO early this AM and checked the level on the stucco tank. It was down 2 inches in two days. Allowing half of that for evaporation (about what the other tank lost to evaporation), it only leaked half an inch a day. I can certainly live with that until this winter when the tank is empty, and I can find the leak (hopefully). If the tank was full it would leak a little bit more, but no more than an inch a day. Remember, last summer it leaked nearly 6 inches a day when it was full. So, if I get good summer rains and don't go off and leave a hose running, I should have plenty of water to make it well into next year's rainy season. I don't anticipate the leak getting worse this year. Usually what you get with the first filling is what you end up with for the year. As good as I patched it, I don't see how it could possibly get worse unless some big area breaks away. But that's only ever happened when it was filled with the season's first rain. So I'm a happy camper. Can't really enjoy the oasis right now because this is the time I get MOSQUITOES!

They'll last another week before the gambusias multiply enough to keep them controlled. I put a lot of gambusias into everything except the puddles between the two dams. I knew the water there would only last a few days, so didn't put any there. Normally, a big rain goes over the first dam taking gambusias with it. But this rain didn't over-top the dam. The water that puddled came in from a small side arroyo. I can't even walk down into that area right now, the mosquitoes are so bad. Every year I have a two week period with mosquitoes, and this is it.