rework existing well?

I just moved on to a property near the Rio Grande in New Mexico that has an existing 3" shallow well that is probably very old (the property was developed in the late 30's). The previous owners stopped using it because the flow has continued to wane over the years. There is an old Sears centrifugal pump with a 220v motor. I have primed it up a couple of times and it puts out maybe 5-6gpm through 2" hose. I had a well service company come out to see if a "blast and blow" would improve the flow. He measure water at 11' and hit bottom at 37'. He blasted it and then hooked up his mobil diesel pump and pumped out an enormous amount of sand and gravel. He put his hand in the flow (good flow) and showed me pieces of old pipe? and pieces of gravel that were 1/2 x 1/4". He said the well needed to be replaced. It is too deteriorated, pulling too much sand and with gravel that size the pump impeller is doomed. I believe him. He was very polite and informative and quoted me prices for a 2" driven well and a 4" auger well. Why I believe him is that he also told me how I could hand drive a 2"er myself. Then I got to thinking, couldn't a just install a 2" drop pipe down the existing 3", and keep it up off the bottom a few feet? I only want to use it for gardening.
Thanks

It sounds like you are in good water that is shallow but has a lot of debris in it. Seems like you could pound down into that hole with the correct screen size and save the cost of a new hole. Why not suggest that to your well driller? .... or try it yourself - after all he cleaned out the hole and you are not limited to any exact depth, pound away as it sounds like the old screen is in pieces.

Pounding something into this existing well is going to cause issues. The screen is set at that depth because that is where it produces water. If you pound a new screen beyond the depth of that well you might get into some finer sand that doesn't produce much and then trying to remove you new expensive screen will be a nightmare. You had the right idea by placing a new screen off the bottom. I would go with a 1 1/4" screen with a 3" well head so you can seal the top of the well.You want a lot of entrance area around the screen and thats why i suggest the 11/4". Get yourself a 4' 10 slot stainless well screen.I would say use schedule 40 to set the screen on but if the well screen gets sand locked, and you want to remove it,you could tap the steel pipe out and not have to worry about something breaking. There is a guy on this forum that can supply you with the material you need.

SAM

I have a well that I jsut put the well point on as a big screen under the cylinder, and it jsut sets on the wood plug at the bottom of the casing,
and I don't pump any sand out of the pipe now. as the screen in the caseing at the bottom was/is deteriating, mine is a little deeper than yours tho, 268 feed deep.

You don't need to pound it jsut put it down the existing hole and if the existing casing collapse around it you may lose a point and a piece of pipe but that is about all, it should keep the big chunks of gravel out, If you don't want to go clear to the bottom of the well that OK too, stay a few feet off the bottom is you want.
you do want to be down in the water good so if the well draws down as it pumps, you don't start to suck air,

there are other screen filters as well to put on the bottom of the well pipe, but sand points are easily available and work good as well.