A Sealed Cistern Fills Itself: The Mystery at Roan Flat Ranch

A Sealed Cistern Fills Itself: The Mystery at Roan Flat Ranch

A rusted padlock and an unbroken lichen cap hid eleven thousand gallons of water in a cistern that had been dry for decades - yet the lid sang like a washing machine before anyone opened it. How did a sealed, half-buried cistern with no pipes and no nearby buildings refill overnight to a temperature between surface melt and the regional aquifer?

In this episode, we follow the call that started everything, the owner who kept the key on a hook above his sink, and the retired civil engineer whose probe gave the first surprising measurement that reframed the mystery. What subterranean path delivered that water, and why did the sound draw a passerby to a sealed relic?

Person: Michelle Coleman Person: Troy Quinn Person: Harold Vreeland Person: Paul Decker Event: Lid opened to reveal ~11,000 gallons

- The cistern is about four feet across and was built in 1971 with a compacted caliche base rather than poured concrete. - Michelle Coleman heard a sound at 7:43 AM on a Saturday in February 2019 and reported it to Cibola County dispatch. - Troy Quinn bought Roan Flat Ranch in 2003, ran roughly 41 head of Black Angus cattle on 640 acres, and hung the cistern key above his kitchen sink with a red rubber tag. - A sheriff's deputy who inspected the site heard faint intermittent sounds like pressurized water two days after the initial report. - A probe measured the cistern water at 51°F, colder than regional groundwater (54-58°F) but warmer than surface snowmelt (38-44°F).

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].