Here at off grid homesteading, we wanted to make sure that the water sources around us were clear, have low algae content which means low nitrogen content. High levels of nitrogen are usually causes of cow feces and chicken poo that have made their way into the soil and down into the water table and eventually out to the surrounding water sources and lakes. One of the key principles which we followed is… stay away from commercial cow farms and chicken farms. So as you’re searching for land, you can get on Google Maps and find a spot you’re looking at, then ZOOM out and if you have chicken farms around you… just know that MORE farms will continue to be added to accommodate population growth, and these farms will always be close to the final processing facilities. I’m not going to mention which ones we are around but think about the top chicken and beef processing facilities and stay as far as possible away from these. Also when you’re buying if you can be on a mountain top with no other farming going on around you and if you could be fortunate to find a spring that originates on your land… you’re water source(s) should be pretty good. Check out the clarity of the water of the lake in this video.