Our old neighbor showed me how to witch for water when I was a kid. Used a green, forked Elm stick, left the bark on. Held it up chin level, bottom of the "Y" pointing straight ahead. I held the other ends in my fists, with thumb over the ends. That is, palms up, and start walking. First I walked back and forth over the two inch water pipe under our front yard, feeling the stick curl down each time. Then walked out from the old well in a circle. Further out from the well each time, on the third circuit, could feel the stick bending in my hands. Walked away and walked back, same thing, as I turned in one spot the old guy gripped the stick near my fingers with his pliers. As we moved over the "strong" spot, the stick moved strong enough the pliers peeled bark loose. We drilled there, I am still using water from that well. Went to a neighbors, just cut a new stick, and dowsed a strong vein, they hit water at 150 feet. In recent years I have showed my wife where the water lines are by dowsing , and still get that feeling. A fellow that worked for one well company used two bent pieces of baling wire, about 15 inches long. Held them in his hands, arms tight to the body, the long part of the wire pointing straight ahead, at a strong spot the wires would turn toward each other and cross. I followed him with my stick and got pretty much the same readings. Had a cousin that would do the same only with copper wire. Not sure about the gravel bit, but I located about five new wells that all pumped.
