The article says that the Llano River is still flowing. If rivers and streams continue to flow long after it has rained, it's because they are receiving discharge from the ground water. That's proof that there is water down there. Also, the article says the water was in limestone bedrock. Limestone usually has large solution channels which carry large volumes of ground water.
I watched a preacher find the water line into my brother-in-law’s house. He had no clue where the water line was. They made him walk a straight line and his “wand” dropped right down over the line.
Scientifically, I believe it is possible. Some people’s bodies are more susceptible to magnetic fluctiations and such. I believe that is one element of it.
But I’ve seen it done. Absolutely.
One of the largest aquifers in the United States (if not the world), whose size is still unknown and whose bottom has not been found, is in the middle of DEATH VALLEY.
“Limestone usually has large solution channels which carry large volumes of ground water.”
One geophysical method used for locating water-filled fractured rocks is VLF Electromagnetics. Uses the VLF energy from the land-based submarine antennas that are constantly sending the VLF energy through the earth. The energy will be concentrated in fractures and other conductive linear features, like metal pipes, wires, and even in PVC pipes with water in some situations. It is one way that typical utility locating wands work.
I am not so sure that (or how) the willow branches work. But, the wire rods will be affected by the VLF current in pipes (I can even do it once in awhile). I imagine if the limestone fracture was large enough (and at the gpm it was it must have been!), I would not be too much of a sceptic of the wire rods. Although would prefer a bit more scientific method using geophysics. But the physics is there. Although I’m not sure why some folks can do it and others can’t - no doubt something in the chemical makeup of the person (iron, salt, etc.) that makes them a better “antenna” than others.
We used VLF to locate wells in a tight formation in New Jersey. Typical wells were just barely enough for a house 4 to 6 gallons/min. With the VLF we would locate fractures and wells would be in the upper thousands of gallons a minute. Twice we found wells where the owner sold most of the water to the local town. Didn’t use metal rods though!
Another mechanism might be the water flowing in the limestone channels, which creates an eletrical field (streaming potential). Again, better ways to measure and detect that, but I wonder if the metal rods might be affect by that as well (if large enough channels, shallow enough, etc.)
I’ll have to search for the NGWA results.
What IS interesting is what deperate people will turn to.