Automated Diversion Dam for Irrigating

This is a dam controlled electrically to divert water for irrigation. The electronics make it easy for anyone to easily and safely operate the dam from a distance. The actual lengths and design of the wood used will vary for each location but the concept is easily adaptable to any situation.

Harbor Freight Electric Trailer Jack

Square Tube - used to connect trailer jack foot to dam wall

Plastic Cutting Board - for reducing friction

2xN Wood - The Exact dimensions used will vary depending on the actual location. Support for Trailer Jack will need to be designed for each use.

Multiple Cement Screws - to secure wood to the cement may not be needed

Multiple Wood Screws

Multiple Bolts - for both the trailer jack mounting and dam wall mounting

Solar Panel

Battery

Electronics Enclosure

Conduit

Wire Connectors

Drill First wood plank into top of cement surface. This will serve as the base for the structure

Drill Side wood plank into cement and First (on top of cement) wood plank.

Screw Vertical Plank into Side plank: The Exact height of this plank is critical. It determines the mounting height of the trailer jack. Make Sure that when the jack is fully extended the wall reaches the desired level.

Follow the same steps on the other side of the water.

If any planks split during installation add reinforcement planks to ensure stability.

Screw a top plank ( we used a 2x10) into the vertical planks, spanning across the water. We let our board hang over the other wood to position the trailer jack in the correct position.

Attach an additional perpendicular plank to the top plank to add rigidity and prevent bowing.

Remove the bottom foot of the trailer jack. Weld square tubing onto the foot. Square tubing should span most of the dam wall.

Drill bolt holes in the welded Square tube for bolts to attach dam wall.

Screw short planks perpendicular to long planks connecting them to form the dam wall (we used 2 separate planks to create the full height of the dam wall). Attach plastic cutting boards to any face that will be in contact with cement to prevent binding.

Drill corresponding holes in the dam wall and bolt it securely to the trailer jack foot (square tube).

Drill a 2.5in hole for the trailer jack in the desired location on the top plank.

Place the trailer jack in the previously made hole and drill holes for the bolts that match the pattern on the trailer jack. (the trailer jack needs to have the bottom foot removed during this step)

Once the jack is bolted in place, reattach the modified bottom foot to the trailer jack.

Bend electrical conduit and attach it to a nearby wooden post that will hold the electrical switch, battery, and solar panel.

This step may not be necessary depending on your setup and the weight of the extension cord. However, in this project, the conduit was added to provide extra support and help secure the cord in place.

MODIFYING THE TRAILER JACK

Remove the Phillips screws on the trailer jack cover to expose the wires inside

Cut the wires leading to the motor and wire a plug (we used a 2-way flat wire connector) onto both sides of the cut wires

Remove the built in Switch from the Trailer jack

Wire an extension cord with plugs that match the plug leading to the trailer jack motor. this allows external power from a battery.

WIRING THE ELECTRICAL BOX

Wire Solar Panel to any 12v battery that fits in the box

Connect the battery as the power supply for the removed trailer jack electronics

Plug the up/down Switch into the modified extension cord to control the jack.

Drill holes in Electrical Enclosure (we used a grey outdoor electrical box) as needed to route the wires from the solar panel and extension cord into the Box

you can choose to keep or remove the auxiliary light on the trailer jack. In our build, the light was left in place (shown in images)

Having the solar panel at an angle allows water to run off more easily.

Create a wood box on the back of the electrical enclosure sized so it will fit over the wooden post. This allows all of the electrical components to be taken off and stored if needed.

Secure the electrical enclosure to a wooden frame that also supports the angled solar panel.

mount the extra trailer jack handle on the wooden post. The extra handle is used to manually operate the trailer jack in the event that the electrical system fails.