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Ozark National Scenic Riverways is home to the largest number of first magnitude springs* in one place anywhere in the world. They include: Frequently Asked Questions About Springs *A first magnitude spring is one that has over 65 million gallons of water daily flow. |
Ozark Riverways is home to outstanding springs that rank among the world’s largest. The larger springs deliver billions of gallons of clear, cold water to the Current and Jacks Fork River every week. Thousands of people visit the Ozarks every year just to look at these large springs. Whether it is the beautiful scene of a giant spring flowing from the base of a towering bluff or the cool air around the spring on a hot summer day, people have always been attracted to these “Jewels of the Ozarks”. If you listen quietly you will discover that each spring has a unique sound ranging from a loud roar to a soft splashing.
Springs are unique ecosystems. Their stable year-round temperatures
and distinctive water chemistry provide a unique environment for
plants and animals not commonly found in the river. Watercress
and other aquatic plants play a key role in the spring ecosystem
by providing organic matter used by other plants and animals and
habitat for aquatic insects.
At least 38 animal species are found only in Ozark springs and
subterranean waters. Several aquatic invertebrate species are
found in as few as two Ozark springs including springs within
Ozark Riverways.
Springs are small, delicate ecosystems, more sensitive to disturbance
than the river. Trampling the spring’s delicate vegetation
to fish, wade and swim would damage the beauty of the springs.
Dislodging aquatic plants in the springs could also alter this
sensitive ecosystem. This is why we prohibit wading, swimming
and fishing in the springs and spring branches. Please help us
in preserving these outstanding springs.
Here are some
"Frequently Asked Questions" about springs:
How much water flows from them?
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Average Flow (Gallons per day) |
| Alley Spring (6 miles west of Eminence on State Route 106) | 81 Million gallons |
| Blue Spring (14 miles east of Eminence on State Route 106) | 93 Million gallons |
| Big Spring (4 miles south of Van Buren on State Route 103) | 286 Million gallons |
| Round Spring (15 miles north of Eminence on S.R. 19) | 26 Million gallons |
| Welch Spring (2 miles north of Akers on Route K) | 75 Million gallons |
| Greer Spring (12 miles south of Winona on SR 19 in the Mark Twain National Forest) | 214 Million gallons |
| Montauk Springs (located at Montauk State Park) | 53 Million gallons |
Why is the water so blue?
Spring water is actively dissolving away limestone as it moves
through the earth. Springs are actually excavating new caves through
this process. This dissolved limestone, along with the influence
of the spring's depth and the blue of the sky, impart the blue
color. Unique local conditions may give each spring its own tint.
Rainy conditions wash silt into the water and may make springs
appear milky or cloudy, or even brown.
Is the water safe to drink?
Although we all know the cliche "pure as spring water,"
water from Ozark springs is generally not much cleaner than water
from surface streams. It passes through huge tunnels underground,
not the tiny porous spaces in the rock that cleanses spring waters
in some other areas.
Located near Van Buren, Missouri in Ozark NSR's Big Spring Campground, this is the largest spring in the state, and one of the largest in the world. On an average day, some 278 million gallons of water gush forth from subterranean passages, swelling the nearby Current River. Experiments in which harmless dye is placed into the ground have shown that water travels from as far as 45 miles away through underground passages before coming to the surface at Big Spring. The trip took from 7 to 14 days.
Like all Ozark springs, Big Spring is busy dissolving away the walls of its underground passages. One researcher estimated that about 175 tons of calcium carbonate rock are carried away in solution by Big Spring's water every day! Over the course of a year, this is enough rock to produce a cavern 30 feet high by 50 feet wide and one mile in length.
| Alley Spring is located at the foot of a picturesque limestone bluff. The beautiful red Alley Mill is located on its bank, utilizing its perennial flow of water to operate its turbine powered flour mills. (Read more about Alley Mill) The spring has an average daily flow of 81 million gallons of water. During most times the water is a placid azure blue, gently welling up from below, but after a storm has swelled the underground conduits feeding the spring, it can gush forth in angry swells and splashes of brown. |  |
| Blue Spring
Current River Blue Spring is located approximately 12 miles east of Eminence on Highway 106. (Not to be confused with another "Blue Spring" on the Jacks Fork River near Mountain View) The spring flows relatively slowly from a very deep cave shaft that is situated at the base of a dolomite bluff. The average flow of the spring (1923 to 1965) is 107 cfs, or 69 mgd (Vineyard and Fender 1974). The recharge area for the spring can be calculated to be approximately 107 square miles using the mean annual flow in cfs as a guide, and this approximation is supported by the current knowledge of the local groundwater flow that has been obtained using dye studies (Aley and Aley, 1987). The recharge area for the spring includes the headwaters of Logan Creek which is nearly 10 miles from the spring itself (Aley and Aley, 1987). This part of the recharge area lies in the topographic watershed of the Black River. The underground conduit of Blue Spring has been explored and mapped to a depth of over 300 vertical feet. The land around the spring was used as a lodge and retreat until 1960 when it was sold to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The land around the spring is still a MDC inholding and state designated natural area. |
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| Round Spring Round Spring is located approximately 13 miles north of Eminence on Highway 19. The spring flows into an almost perfectly circular cavern that has collapsed, and from there it travels through a natural tunnel before it emerges into the spring branch. The average flow of the spring during a 16-year record is 40 cfs and 26 mgd (Vineyard and Feder 1974). The recharge area of the spring encompasses roughly 45 square miles (Aley and Aley 1987). A portion of the spring's recharge area is situated to the southwest under Spring Valley. It is also possible that part of the recharge area is situated to the northeast, which means that the groundwater would have to flow under the Current River to reach the spring. Round Spring was also one of the first parks in the Missouri state park system (1932). The Round Spring State Park was incorporated into the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in 1972. |
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Pulltite Spring is located close
to Pulltite campground, about 14 miles north of Eminence off of
highway EE. The spring flows from the rock structures at the bottom
of a cliff forming a small pool. The estimated mean annual flow
of the spring is 45.5 cfs, or 29.6 mgd (Aley 1978). The estimated
mean annual flow for Pulltite Spring and the many springs in its
immediate area (Pulltite Spring Complex) is 223 cfs (Aley 1978).
Based on the mean annual flow, an approximation of the recharge
area can be calculated to be about 223 square miles (Aley and
Aley 1978). However, using dye tracing a more accurate approximation
of the recharge area for the Pulltite Spring Complex has been
calculated to be about 161.5 square miles (Aley and Aley 1987).
Pulltite Spring gained its name from the "tight pull"
of the horse drawn teams down a steep hill next to the mills that
were positioned on the spring-branch. The spring was purchased
by St Louis businessmen in 1911 and was run as a fishing resort,
until the area was acquired by the National Park Service in 1967.
(Read about the history of Pulltite)
| Welch Spring
is located approximately 2 miles north of Akers on Highway K.
The spring flows from the base of a wooded dolomite hill near
the historic Welch Hospital, and then flows to the river over
a rock impoundment The mean annual discharge of the spring (1923
to 1965) is 121 cfs or 78.2 mgd (Vineyard and Feder 1974). Using
the mean annual discharge of the spring as a reference the recharge
area is approximately 121 square miles (Aley and Aley 1987).
The recharge area of the spring encompasses the land to the east
and northeast under the Gladden Creek Valley. There are several
sinkholes in the valley that pirate water to the spring, however;
there has not been enough dye tracing done to determine the actual
extent of the recharge area. Thomas Welch homesteaded Welch Spring, in 1855, and a gristmill was run on the spring-branch until nearly 50 years after the Civil War. Doctor Diehl purchased the spring and the area surrounding the spring in 1913, and ran it as a rest camp for asthma sufferers. After Dr. Diehl's death the property, including the hospital and spring, was sold to a group of people who managed it as a trout fishing resort; until it was purchased by the National Park Service in 1967. |
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Definitions:
cfs = Cubic Feet per Second
mgd = Millions of gallons per day
recharge area = the local area which feeds the spring via subsurface water
For a complete Glossary of Karst terms, click here.
Ozark National Scenic Riverways is charged by the American people, through its Congressional mandate, to preserve these unique and fragile natural features. A variety of laws and regulations, some state and federal laws, others park regulations, are in place to help preserve them unimpaired for for the enjoyment of our great grandchildren's grandchildren. Some are summarized below:
Prohibited Activities in Springs of Ozark National Scenic Riverways
The following sections of the Superintendent's Orders regulate activities in springs and spring branches:
1.5 Boating and tubing
Boating and tubing are prohibited in the spring and spring branch
of Alley, Round, Blue and Big Spring.
3.1 Swimming, bathing and wading
Swimming, bathing and wading in springs and spring branches is
prohibited.
3.23 Scuba diving and snorkeling
Scuba diving is prohibited within all springs and spring branches
on Federally owned land within the boundaries of the Riverways
without written permit from the Superintendent, under authority
of 36 CFR 7.83.
Excerpt from 36 CFR 7.83 (Federal Code of Regulations)
(b) Scuba Diving. (1) Scuba diving is prohibited
within all springs and spring branches on federally owned land
within the boundaries of Ozark National Scenic Riverways without
a written permit from the superintendent.
(2) Permits. The superintendent may issue written permits for
scuba diving in springs within the boundaries of Ozark National
Scenic Riverways;
Provided
(I) That the permit applicant will be engaged in scientific or
educational investigations which will have demonstrable value
to the National Park Service in its management or understanding
of riverways resources.
7.83 Fishing
Fishing is prohibited in springs and spring branches.
Rational for Restricting Activities in Springs
Enabling Legislation:
The first paragraph of the enabling legislation for Ozark Riverways reads:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of conserving and interpreting unique scenic and other natural values and objects of historic interest, including preservation of portions of the Current River and the Jacks Fork River in Missouri as free-flowing streams, preservation of springs and caves, management of wildlife, and provisions for use and enjoyment of the outdoor recreation resources thereof by the people of the United States,..............
Note that the second specific purpose listed for the establishment of the park is "preservation of springs", out ranked only by "preservation of portions of the Current River and the Jacks Fork River". The word preservation was chosen here and not the weaker term conservation. It is clear that the springs must be protected to the highest standard. Big Spring is certainly by virtue of its magnitude alone is one of, if not the most valuable single resource features in the park. It is clear therefore that actions and activities that affect Big Spring must be judged using the highest standard.
Natural Resource Values:
Springs are unique ecosystems. Their stable thermal regime and water chemistry characteristics provide a unique environment for a variety of flora and fauna not commonly found in the main channel of their receiving stream. By definition springs are small systems, which makes them more sensitive to disturbances than the main river channel.
Watercress and other aquatic macrophytes play a key role in the spring ecosystem by providing organic input, habitat for macro invertebrates and substrate for periphyton growth (Converse 1994). Watercress grows mainly in shallow areas and is easily dislodged by wading activities. Wading activities by large numbers of visitors in the spring branch would significantly reduce the watercress biomass in the spring ecosystem. This biomass reduction would negatively affect the thermal regime present in these springs. At least one species of caddisfly is known to occur only in Big Spring and Greer Spring. Small changes in small sensitive systems like springs can have large affects. In addition, the export of large amounts of macrophyte material to the receiving river is significant (Converse 1991). No less than 38 animal species are restricted in distribution to Ozark springs and subterranean waters (Vineyard and Feder 1974). Several aquatic invertebrate species are known from as few as two Ozark springs including springs within Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
The scenic values of our large springs are probably the most obvious values to park visitors. The number of publications using photographs of these springs on their cover or in the body every year evidences this. Tens of thousands of people come to Big and Alley Springs every year just to look at these jewels of the Ozarks.
Trampling of bank vegetation including delicate mosses and lichens by people accessing the spring to fish, wade and swim would negatively alter the appearance of the springs. Denuding of vegetation on the banks would increase, further degrading the visual quality of the area.
These recommendations are contained in Natural Resources Basic Data for Ozark National Scenic Riverways (Larson 1969):
The springs.....are unusual natural features and will no doubt, greatly enhance the recreational aspects of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. However, it is well to remember that the vegetation, which has developed in the spring habitat in the area, appears as a distinct unit in the flora of the State. The importance of safeguarding that vegetational element cannot be over emphasized. It is requested, therefore, that serious consideration be given to the following recommendations:
1. A restriction should be placed against removal of plant species from spring pools and spring branches by anyone other than qualified individuals conducting surveys of the flora.
2. The use of spring pools for any activity, which would disturb the vegetation, should be prohibited. This would be most significant in those springs where the increasingly popular sport of diving could be pursued.
3. Finally, with respect to the distribution of species, particularly in spring branches, activities, which most likely would disturb the substratum, should not be permitted.
How other agencies protect springs:
The US Forest Service does not allow wading, swimming, fishing, boating or floating in Greer Spring to protect a pristine area and the bank vegetation.
The Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources does
not allow swimming and wading in Montauk Spring in Montauk State
Park to protect vegetation.
References Cited:
Converse, Jeffery W. 1994. Water chemistry,
nutrient dynamics, and macrophyte
production of a large cold water spring. Unpublished Masters Thesis,
University of Missouri, 145 pp.
Larson, James W. 1969. Natural Resources Basic
Data for Ozark National Scenic
Riverways. National Park Service. 255 pp.
Vineyard, Jerry D. and Gerald L. Feder. 1974.
Springs of Missouri. Missouri Geological
Survey and Water Resources. 266 pp.
Revised 2/2000
