Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Feds say beetle not at risk

Published 12/8/07
A rare and flightless beetle found nowhere else but a warm spring near Bozeman is no longer a candidate for federal protection.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday said it was removing the beetle from its list of candidates for endangered-species status.

The only place they're known to exist is an area smaller than 400 square feet along Bridger Creek where a warm spring keeps the water between 72 and 74 degrees.
Source

Thursday, November 29, 2007

McConnell Springs (Kentucky)

McConnell Springs is located off Old Frankfort Pike inside New Circle Road near downtown Lexington. From either direction on New Circle Road, take Old Frankfort Pike toward Lexington. Turn right on McConnell Springs Drive (directly across from the Fire Training Center). Turn left at the dead-end onto Cahill Drive, then turn right on Rebmann Drive and enter The Springs parking lot.

The park is open daily year-round, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

416 Rebmann Lane

859-225-4073
Source

In June 1775, William McConnell and his fellow frontier explorers camped at a natural spring in the wilderness of the Virginia territory known as Kentucky. The natural spring where it emerges is known as Blue Hole.

McConnell Springs is owned by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and managed by its Division of Parks and Recreation.
Source

Thursday, November 22, 2007

It's a sinking feeling (Huntsville, Alabama)

Published November 18, 2007
Experts say the severe lack of rainfall has increased the risk of sinkholes, like the one that damaged an expensive home in Madison's Cambridge at Heritage Plantation neighborhood last week.

Although the problem in Madison has not been linked to the drought - city officials say it could just be soft soils and normal settling - dry times tend to be prime time for sinkholes, said Dr. Scott Brande, a geologist and associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Rainfall keeps North Alabama's many underground limestone caves flush with water, which Brande said acts as a "load bearing material" to help support the weight of the soil and rocks above the caves. During droughts, he said, cave water levels tend to drop. If it drops enough to make the earth above collapse, a sinkhole is born.

The Huntsville area has always been a hotbed for sinkholes because it is pocked with underground caverns. Blame it on our bedrock: the Rocket City sits atop a massive limestone outcrop that Brande said was formed 450 million to 500 million years ago. The main ingredient of limestone is calcite, a mineral that is easily dissolved by the mild acids in rainwater.

Acids eat away the calcite, creating voids in the limestone. After a few hundred years of rain seeping into bedrock, a small void can grow into a large underground cave that can become a sinkhole.
Source

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Searching for romantic hot springs (Colorado)

Published November 3, 2007
A tour of three natural ‘hot pots’ includes both commercial and primitive stops

Glenwood Springs
...west down I-70 past Glenwood Canyon, got off at exit 111, and followed our directions about a half mile down a mountain-studded road. Unsure what to expect, we parked alongside the road and followed a dirt path about 75 yards to the hot spring.

Strawberry Park Hot Springs
...commercialized, destination about seven miles outside Steamboat Springs. Strawberry Park was a collection of cabins and terraced hot springs

Come November, visitors must have four-wheel- or all-wheel-drive cars to access it, Winston said.

Penny Hot Spring.
Following I-70 to Route 82, we continued south past Carbondale to a spring about seven miles below the Crystal River Resort. The hot spring was right off the road, separated from the Crystal River by a tarp and a few strategically-placed rocks.
Source

Friday, November 2, 2007

Kentucky Is Karst Country! - What You Should Know about Sinkholes and Springs

KGS Information Circular #5094

Kentucky is one of the most famous karst areas in the world. What is karst? It's a landscape with sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, and springs. Much of Kentucky's beautiful scenery, particularly in the Inner Bluegrass Region, is the result of the devleopment of karst landscape. A large amount of Kentucky's prime farmland (including its famous horse farms) is underlain by karst and springs and wells in karst areas supply water to thousands of homes. Many of Kentucky's major cities, including Frankfort, Louisville, Lexington, Lawrenceburg, Georgetown, Winchester, Paris, Versailles, Nicholasville, Fort Knox, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Munfordville, Russellville, Hopkinsville, Princeton, Somerset, monticello, and Mount Vernon, are in karst areas as well. The Daniel Boone National Forest, with its important recreational and timber resources, is largely underlain by karst. Kentucky's caves provide recreational opportunities and contain unique ecosystems. Mammoth Cave is the longest surveyed cave in the world, with over 350 miles of passages. Two other caves in the state are over 30 miles long, and nine Kentucky caves are among the 50 longest caves in the United States.
Source (PDF)
Info about publication

Springs in Kentucky
GIS Data from the Kentucky Ground Water Data Repository

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Rand Tract (New York)

The Rand Tract, popularly known for its Webster Pond, is a fascinating 97-acre natural area located just off the west side of the 2000 block of Valley Drive in Syracuse, just north of St. Paul's Methodist Church. It is owned by the City of Syracuse, and administered by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Youth Programs. However, it is run as a wildlife sanctuary by the Anglers Association of Onondaga, who signed a long-term agreement with the city in 1960 to manage the property.

Kimber Brook, which flows into the Webster Pond from the south, provides the pond with a steady supply of clean, fresh spring water. The pond itself is approximately 4.2 acres in size and varies in depth from 7 to 20 feet. Water flows north out of the pond and drains into Onondaga Creek.
Source

Kiholo Bay, Kohala Hawaii

Kiholo Bay is beautiful. The waters are painted a dozen different shades of blue and the ocean is very inviting after the hike. Turtles frequent the shallow waters here and will venture into the fish ponds at night. The huge, spring-fed Luahinewai Pond anchors the south end of the bay, and the three black-pebble beaches are fine for swimming in calm weather.

Take Highway 19 north from Kohala Resort Area. Hwy. 19, Mile Marker 81. The public access road is on the right between Mile Marker #82 and 83. The gate is usually open during the week between 8am-4pm.
Source

Otter's water plans dry on details (Idaho)

Published October 31, 2007
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter announced last week plans for several Magic Valley water-conservation projects that could provide the city of Twin Falls with an additional water source, recharge springs that feed the aquaculture industry and pay farmers to stop irrigating as much as 20,000 acres of farmland.

Springs that provide water to fish farms have declined dramatically in recent years, reducing fish production by 250,000 annually at lower Snake River hatcheries. Otter's proposals call for rerouting spring water and pumping water back into the springs, but Marshall expects the projects to have nominal benefits for his hatcheries.

Among the proposals, the governor wants to transfer 775,200 gallons of water at Alpheus Springs, currently used by the Blue Lakes Country Club Golf Course for irrigation, to the city of Twin Falls for drinking water.
Source

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Mammoth Spring (Arkansas)

Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery (MSNFH), located in Mammoth Spring (Fulton County), was the first national hatchery established in Arkansas, dating back to 1903. It is also one of the oldest in the country. Mammoth Spring is the seventh-largest spring in the United States and the largest spring in Arkansas. The spring forms the headwaters of the Spring River. Water flows at a constant fifty-eight degrees, making it ideal for the production of cool-water fish. Gravity forces the water through raceways and fills ponds, returning most to the Spring River.
Source

More Info:
The hatchery is one of the oldest, built in the Ozark foothills in northeast Arkansas due to the availability of cool gravity flow water from the world’s seventh largest spring and easy access to the railroad.
Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery

Flint Hills Springs (Kansas)

Flint Hills Springs (Article)
Robert S. Sawin, Rex C. Buchanan, Wayne Lebsack
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (1903-), Vol. 102, No. 1/2 (Apr., 1999), pp. 1-31

Abstract
Springs are an important component of the Kansas landscape and an aid in understanding the connection between groundwater and surface water and the impact of human activity on the environment. Despite their importance, little information has been collected systematically on springs in Kansas. The Kansas Geological Survey has begun a project that brings together existing information on springs in the State. Using the Flint Hills physiographic region as an example, this paper describes significant and representative springs of the Flint Hills, inventories their location and general water quality, and compares their condition to historical data. In general, water quality and flow rates in Flint Hills springs have remained steady through the years. This is attributed to the lack of cultivation and absence of irrigation, which has likely preserved the native prairie grasses and groundwater conditions.
Source

Links
Kansas - Flint Hills

Springs Fever (Kansas)

These springs in Marion County (Kansas) were included on a tour.

1. Watchorn Spring
This spring in the southern part of the county was a water source for Watchorn residents during the oil boom of 1918-22. The town died when the oil boom ended, but the spring is still providing clear, cold water to cattle on the Wilson Ranch.

2. Lee Spring
This spring is a "bubbler" and you might walk right over it if you didn't know it was there. The water bubbles up on land farmed by Dale Buller east of Peabody.

3. Allison Spring
This spring pumps water into Spring Creek at the rate of 1,000 gallons per minute during the spring months, said landowner Les Allison.

4. Coyne Springs
These springs, west of Florence, are described as "pool springs" that come up from the bottom and form a pool before moving into a nearby stream.

Jones said area hotels and restaurants advertised "Coyne Springs water" in the 1920s, and the city of Peabody once considered piping water to Peabody from this spring.

5. Miller Spring
This spring is tucked into a gently rolling Flint Hills pasture southeast of Florence.

Miller Spring gushes water at a rate once measured at 1,800 gallons per minute.

6. Crystal Spring
This spring, north of Florence, has supplied the city with water since 1920. The water tower boasts the water is "99.96 percent" pure water-which is fairly accurate, according to a Kansas Geological Survey report.

The water is pumped in a concrete pump house built near the spring in the side of a hill.

With a flow rate of about 3,000 gallons a minute, Crystal Spring is considered the largest spring in the state.

7. Central Park Spring
Early settlers found this spring and decided it was an ideal place to make camp. The spring flows out of the side of a hill on the east side of what is now Marion City Park.

8. Chingawassa Springs
Formerly known as Carter's Springs for the man who homesteaded the land, Chingawassa Springs is actually a group of more than 50 springs located north of Marion.

Most are freshwater springs, but there are also a few mineral springs. It was the mineral springs that made the springs famous.

From 1889 to 1893, Chingawassa Springs operated as a resort and health spa and was one of several springs across the state known for its "healing waters."

9. Summervill Spring
This spring is located south of the Marion County Lake dam on property owned by Mick and Marge Summervill.

The spring runs through a springhouse and then into a lake, where the Summervills have rainbow trout. The springhouse is a great place to cool watermelons in the summer, according to Marge.

-- Other springs
Other well-known springs in the county that are not part of the tour are Lost Spring, west of the town of Lost Springs, and Elm Springs near Durham. Lost Spring was on the Santa Fe Trail and Elm Springs was on the Chisholm Trail.

Elm Springs is known for its waterfall.

For tour reservations or more information, call 620-983-2438 or 620-983-2815.
Source

Pepperell Springs (Maine)

Pepperell Springs was formally a spring water source for a beverage company named Pepperell Springs, later owned and operated under the name Belmont Springs. While no longer an active bottled water spring, the land overlies part of an aquifer that supplies drinking water for the Town of Pepperell.

Pepperell Springs can be accessed from several points: on Heald St. at the end of Heald Pond and from walking trails off Maple, Oak Hill, and Chestnut Streets. All trail entrances are marked with Conservation Land signs. To reach the central parking lot for Pepperell Springs, from Town Hall (corner of Main St. and Park St.), take Heald St. (off Park) about 1 miles to Maple St and take a right. After about 1/4 mile, Maple St comes to a fork with Maple St. continuing to the right and Chestnut beginning to the left. Follow Chestnut about a half mile to just past where the road turns to gravel. There is a gravel parking area across from the old Pepperell Springs bottling building. You can enter the property across the street from the parking area along a gated dirt road or any of the marked walking trails along Chestnut St.
Source

Mill Springs Park (Kentucky)

Wayne County (Kentucky)

The park is located on Highway 1275, just off Highway 90 between Somerset and Monticello, and 4 miles from Conley Bottom Resort. Monticello, located just 9 miles from the Mill, has many accommodations for your convenience. For more information on this historic area, call the Monticello/Wayne County Chamber of Commerce at (606)348-3064.

Bolan E. Roberts bought the mill in 1907 and operated it as "Diamond Roller Mills." In 1908, the 28-foot cedar wheel was replaced by a steel water wheel. Still in use the wheel is one of the largest overshot water wheels in the world. The wheel has a diameter of 40 feet, 10 inches, and a breast of three feet. Powered by 13 natural springs located beside the mill, it is thought to be one of the largest of it's kind in the world.

Mill Springs is now on the National Register of Battlefields and is one of 25 Civil War battlefields that is included on a special Endangered Battlefield list.
Source

Books on Hot Springs throughout the USA


Amazon


Amazon

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

El Polin Springs (California)

Click image to enlarge


Located in the Tennessee Hollow watershed (the Presidio's southeast corner)

The Presidio of San Francisco is a National Historic Landmark District that is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is located at the northernmost tip of San Francisco, California, at the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The modern map of the Presidio marks "El Polin Spring" at the southern foot of MacArthur Avenue, in a cozy picnic area outfitted with a cobblestone well to mark the location. The water draining from the hillside to the well tumbles over some beautiful Spanish-era brickworks in a series of miniature waterfalls, attracting birds that like to drink and shower in the cascades. Copious in February when charged by rainfall, the flow here in June has slowed to five or 10 cups per minute, and will dry to less than a trickle in October.

Sources:
Presidio Web (Stanford Univ)
Taking the waters at El Polin in the Presidio
Whispers in the Water
- Reviving the Past at the Presidio's El Polin Springs

Black Canyon Springs (Nevada)

Inside the Lake Mead National Recreation (Nevada)

Another area within Lake Mead NRA rich with springs is the Black Canyon vicinity downstream of Hoover Dam. Here you can find springs of both the thermal and non-thermal variety, with water temperatures ranging from about 55 to 136 degrees Fahrenheit. Spring discharge below the Black Canyon can be diffuse, often taking the form of large seeps with wet rock faces that at times are up to 100 feet long.

...Nevada Hot Spring and Arizona Hot Spring can be reached by hiking trail, while many others such as the springs in Boy Scout Canyon can only be reached easily by boat.

Nevada Hot Spring is a popular visitor destination that can be accessed via a trail head located off Highway 93 on the Nevada side of Hoover Dam.

Another popular spring to visit within the Black Canyon vicinity is Arizona Hot Spring, which is located about 4 miles south of Hoover Dam. Arizona Hot Spring can be accessed via a scenic hiking trail located off of Highway 93 on the Arizona side of the Colorado River, and it produces fairly constant 111 degree Fahrenheit water that drops through several small pools.
Source

Roger Spring (Nevada)

Click image to enlarge


Inside the Lake Mead National Recreation (Nevada)

See PDF for greater detail.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area - Map (PDF)

Contact:
Visitor Center (Open 7 Days a Week) (702) 293-8990
Park Info. Desk (Open M-F) (702) 293-8906

Rogers Spring and others in the “North Shore Complex”comprise one of the discharge areas for the carbonate-rock aquifer system of eastern Nevada and western Utah. The source of the water to this and these other regional springs is not known. One theory, however, suggests that recharge occurs in the Morman Mountains, located some 30 miles to the north. As ground water flows south through the carbonate rocks, it encounters the Rogers Spring Fault which has juxtaposed sedimentary rocks and evaporite deposits of the Muddy Creek and Horse Spring formations. Here the lesser transmissivity of these finer-grained, more-recent rocks, along with sufficient hydraulic head, forces the water to emerge at surface.
Source

National Cement moves forward on plans for nature preserve in St. Clair County (Alabama)

Published October 29, 2007
The cement company announced last year its plan to create the preserve, Blue Springs Nature Preserve, and the nonprofit that would run it. The park is near the company's Ragland cement plant.

Plans for the Blue Springs Nature Preserve call for a tram to transport visitors into the preserve, an outdoor arboretum, a visitor center, a cultural preservation building, education center, walking trails and campgrounds.
Source

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Hot Springs (North Carolina)

GPS Coordiantes
Latitude: 35.89694 Longitude: -82.82583

Hot Springs, North Carolina, a resort destination since the early 1800s, has long been renowned for its healing mineral springs and scenic mountain setting. Native Americans were the first to discover the 100-plus degree mineral water from which the Town of Hot Springs received its name.
Source

The heart of Hot Springs, North Carolina, is our 100 acre Resort & Spa. We feature modern Jacuzzi style hot tubs, positioned outside along the tranquil banks of Spring Creek and the French Broad River; our tubs are supplied with a continuous flow of the 104 degree natural mineral waters.
Source

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park (California)

The Park can only be reached by boat. There are no public roads to it and private motor vehicles are prohibited within.

The waters which come together are Big Lake, Tule River, Ja-She Creek, Lava Creek, and Fall River. Together they form one of the largest systems of fresh water springs in the country.
Source

River Styx Spring (Kentucky)

Click image to enlarge

Source

More Info:
Inside Mammoth Cave National Park

Distance: 1.2 miles from Historic Entrance to Green River and back
Location: Begin from Historic Entrance or Visitor Center

River Styx Spring is where one of the many rivers inside Mammoth Cave emerges for a short time as a surface stream before joining the Green River. Continue to the north/right to make a loop with Green River Bluffs or Dixon Cave trails.
Mammoth Cave National Park Education Surface Activities

Echo River Spring (Kentucky)

Inside Mammoth Cave National Park

Click image to enlarge (Image source link below)


The subterranean Echo River emerges at Echo River Spring a short walk away from the Green River Ferry. The barren banks around the spring reflect the changing volume of water that can flow from the spring and/or backfill from the Green River during flood.
Source

More Info:
Trail inside Mammoth Cave National Park
Distance: .8 miles round trip
Location: Begins at Green River Ferry parking lot.

This is where one of the many rivers that flows through Mammoth Cave emerges. Water bubbles up out of the spring, or during spring floods water backs up from the Green River and enters the cave here. Combine a trip to this spring with the Historic Tour or Mammoth Passage Tour to give your students a better understanding of the connection between the cave and the surface. Have your students test water temperature, velocity, pH, and oxygen here and at Sloan's Crossing Pond or a creek near your school and compare.
Mammoth Cave National Park Education Surface Activities

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Giant Springs State Park (Montana)

Giant Springs State Park marks the home of one of the most abundant natural springs in the world. Discovered in 1805 by Lewis and Clark during their historic month-long portage through the Great Falls area of North Central Montana, the spring boasts an astounding measured flow of at least 156-190 million gallons of water a day.

Located two miles east of U.S. Highway 87 on Giant Springs Road, Great Falls, MT. (Lat 47.53, Lng -111.207). Mail: Giant Springs, 4600 Giant Springs Road, Great Falls, MT 59405. Phone: 406-454-5840.
Source

Giant Springs is located in Great Falls, Montana's Giant Springs Heritage Park. Heritage Park also features Rivers Edge Trail, Visitor Center, and Roe River (the shortest river in the world!) Yes, that is correct. The Guinness Book of World Records has proclaimed the Roe River, fed by one of the "largest" springs in the world, to be the shortest river in the world! It has been measured on different occasions, with lengths varying from 58 feet to 200 feet. The tiny river connects Giant Springs to the Missouri River.
Source

Discharges of Large Springs in Missouri


Source

Spring Distribution Map (Missouri)

Click image to enlarge


The large springs of Missouri all occur south of the Missouri River, and mostly along the river valleys throughout the Ozark Uplift. Major river basins which are home to large springs are those of the Osage, Gasconade, Meramec, Black, Current, Eleven Point, and North Fork Rivers. Missouri springs are somewhat unique since they occur mainly in dolomite, not limestone--we have the largest number of large springs in dolomite anywhere in the United States.
Source

Twenty Ozark Springs (Missouri)

Big Spring
Mammoth Spring, Arkansas
Greer Spring
Bennett Spring
Maramec Spring
Welch Spring
Alley Spring
Double Spring
Blue Spring (Current River)
Montauk Spring
Hahatonka Spring
Blue Spring(Oregon County)
Pulltite Spring
North Fork Spring
Boiling Spring
Roubidoux Spring
Round Spring
Hodgson Mill Spring
Tucker Bay Spring
Cave Spring

Includes snapshots of the twenty largest springs in the Missouri-Arkansas Ozarks. A bit of geography, geology, history, and current use are included with each snapshot.
Source

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Coldwater Spring (Minnesota)

Coldwater Spring is located about 1.5 miles south of Minnehaha Falls on the Mississippi River bluff. From Hwy 55 in south Minneapolis turn east (toward the Mississippi) at 54th Street, take an immediate right and drive south along the frontage road with the parking meters, go through the cul de sac and the chain link fence, past the aqua brick building, and follow the curvy road to the great willow tree beside Coldwater reservoir.
Source

-Largest limestone bedrock spring in the Twin Cities.
-Flows at 144,000 gallons a day.
Source

Valley View Hot Springs (Colorado)

Contact: 719-256-4315

Valley View Hot Springs is located 4 1/2 miles south of Villa Grove, Colorado and 7 miles east of the junction of U.S. Highway 285 and Colorado Highway 17 on Saguache County Road GG, a 7 mile gravel road.
Source

Ponds and Pools of Valley View Hot Springs

Crystal Springs Beach (Texas)

Spring-fed swimming place, commercial, with water rides and a 350-foot-long beach of white sand.
Source

585 Hwy 67
West Maud Texas
Contact: 903-585-5246
Crystal Springs Beach Website

Blue Hole (Texas)

Blue Hole Park
333 Blue Hole Lane
Wimberley, Texas

Blue Hole, located in Wimberley, is truly a Texas Treasure. Swimmers have been going to this park for generations. Surrounded by towering cypress trees, this swimming hole is fed by Cypress Creek. Recently the village of Wimberley purchased more than 100 acres of land surrounding Blue Hole.
Source

More Info:
Blue Hole - A Texas Treasure
Friend of Blue Hole

Krause Springs (Texas)

Krause Springs, 34 miles west of Austin in Spicewood, is possibly the most beautiful swimming hole in the state. Situated on a bluff overlooking Cypress Creek, Krause Springs is actually two swimming holes in one. As the rolling ranch land begins its rapid descent to the creek and Lake Travis, the Krause home sits at a high point with the parking lot. At the next level below the house is the spring-fed swimming pool and below that is the creek, lined with towering cypress trees and a waterfall coming over a cliff covered with ferns.

There are 32 springs throughout the campground, which made it perfect for the original Native American residents and now benefits latter-day campers and swimmers. Two springs feed the 70' by 20' swimming pool at a rate of 70 gallons a minute at a temperature of about 70 degrees. The springs have never slowed down, even during severe drought.

Krause Springs is west of Austin off of TX 71 and Spur 191 into Spicewood. Take Texas Highway 71 west from Austin, cross the Pedernales River, drive 7 miles, turn right on Spur 191 at the Exxon Station, right on County Road 404 and look for a sign on the left directing you to this private park.
Source

More Info:
The Ten Best Swimming Spots in the Austin Area

Barton Springs Pool (Texas)

2101 Barton Springs Road (located in Zilker Park)
Austin, Texas 78704
Contact: 512) 974-9331.

Within Zilker Park's 358 acres, lies one of the crown jewels of Austin, Barton Springs Pool. Three acres in size, the pool is fed from under ground springs and is on average 68 degrees year round. Over the years, Barton Springs Pool has drawn people from all walks of life, from legislators who have concocted state laws there to free-spirited topless sunbathers who turned heads in the seventies. Even Robert Redford learned to swim at the pool when he was five years old while visiting his mother's relative in Austin. Today, Barton Springs still attracts a diverse crowd of people.
Source

Blue Pond (Alabama)

A clear, cool spring-fed pond in a Conecuh National Forest Recreation Area with sandy beach and (perhaps) lifeguards in season? Hiking trails and camping nearby. From Andalusia (in south central AL) go south on RT 29/15 toward the Conecuh N. F.. Turn south (left) on RT 137 near the entrance to the N.F.. After about 5-6 miles, look for signs to the Blue Pond Recreation Area on the east (left) side of RT 137. THe swimming place is in Blue Pond.
Source

More Info:
Conecuh National Forest
The Conecuh Trail

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Beauchamps Springs (Texas)

Beauchamps Springs is a group of springs at the foot of Johnson Street in Houston, Harris County (at 29°47' N, 95°22' W). In the early days of Houston the springs were the city's chief water supply. The water feeds a pond covered with water hyacinths. Confederates had a campsite at the spring during the Civil War.qv On April 11, 1978, the water flow was only 1.7 gallons per minute. Heavy groundwater pumping in the vicinity has greatly lowered the water table.
Source

Buffalo Springs (Texas)

Buffalo Springs is near the Oklahoma state line in north central Dallam County (at 36°29' N, 102°47' W). The springs originate from numerous openings in sandstone and in the past were a site for Indian campgrounds and also a favorite watering place for herds of buffalo,qv mustangs,qv and other animals. In 1878 the XIT Ranch'sqv first division headquarters was established at the springs. The spring flow declined from 142 liters per second in 1907 to 6.5 in 1977 because of irrigation pumping.
Source

Howard Springs (Texas)

Howard Springs are a group of historical springs twenty-five miles southwest of Ozona in southwestern Crockett County (at 30°28' N, 101°28' W).
Source

Holland Springs (Texas)

The Holland Springs, on Hamilton Creek three miles south of Burnet in central Burnet County (at roughly 30°42' N, 98°13' W), are made up of several small springs rising from Lower Paleozoic Ellenburger limestones.
Source

Red Bluff Springs (Texas)

The Red Bluff Springs (at 31°57' N, 103°57' W) are on the Pecos River upstream from Allison Spring in northwestern Loving County. After Red Bluff Reservoir was built in 1936, the springs issued into the lake and river. The springs are moderately saline and flow from a formation of limestone conglomerate and dolomite.
Source

Seven Hundred Springs (Texas)

Seven Hundred Springs, the eleventh largest springs in Texas, is four miles south of Telegraph in Edwards County (at 30°16' N, 99°56' W). The springs burst from numerous cavities in Edwards limestones at the base of a bluff on the northwest side of the South Llano River
Source

Waco Springs (Texas)

Waco Springs is in Indian Springs Park on the west bank of the Brazos River near the Waco Suspension Bridge,qv in McLennan County (at 31°33' N, 97°08' W). The springs were once the site of an Indian village. Fort Fisher was established near them in 1837. In the 1990s the springs flowed through a rock walkway along the river bank and emptied into the Brazos River. A state-approved marker was placed at the site in 1964.
Source

Antelope Springs (Texas)

Antelope Springs (Ojos del Berrendo) was located 1½ miles south of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe tracks in northeastern Presidio County (at 30°12' N, 103°55' W). The springs, which once flowed from caliche rock, are now dry.
Source

Capote Springs (Texas)

Capote Springs is a group of springs flowing from Quaternary gravel in a remote area eleven miles northeast of Candelaria in western Presidio County (at 30°15' N, 104°33' W). The water produces the beautiful Capote Falls, where it drops over a 180-foot-high cliff of Bracks rhyolite in the Vieja Rim.
Source

Bowles Springs (Texas)

Bowles Springs is three miles northwest of Alto in southern Cherokee County (at 31°41' N, 95°06' W). The springs were named for Chief Bowl,qv the leader of a band of Cherokees who lived in the area from 1819 to 1839.
Source

Lytton Springs (Texas)

The Lytton Springs are just south of the Lytton Springs community in southern Caldwell County (at 30°30' N, 97°37' W). They may have served as campsites for Isidro Félix de Espinosa and Antonio de San Buenaventura Olivaresqqv in 1709 and for Domingo Ramónqv in 1716. The springs were named for John Litton, who brought his cattle to graze in the region in the 1840s. The flow of the springs was reduced as the population increased and pumping wells came into use, and though a pond was dug to help keep the springs, only a few seeps remained in the early 1980s.
Source

Buffalo Springs Lake (Texas)

Buffalo Springs Lake, located on Farm Road 835 nine miles southeast of Lubbock in Lubbock County (at 33°32' N, 101°42' W), provides a major recreation area for West Texas.

The surface level of the lake was elevated repeatedly, most recently in 1960; the site of the main springs has been inundated, though the springs still flow. They have, in fact, benefitted by recharge of their aquifer with water from Lake Meredith, by way of Lubbock lawns and gardens.
Source

Georgetown Springs (Texas)

Georgetown Springs is a group of more than twenty springs in and near San Gabriel Park, two miles northeast of Georgetown in central Williamson County (at 30°39' N, 97°41' W). The springwater flows from cavernous Edwards limestones.
Source

Hancock Springs (Texas)

The Hancock Springs are a group of springs in Hancock Park in southwestern Lampasas, Lampasas County (at 31°03' N, 98°11' W).
Source

Spring Lake Site (Texas)

The Spring Lake Site is so named because it is one of several areas of archeological debris under the lake of the protected property known as Aquarena Springs.qv Other sites exist all around the lake, which is located in San Marcos in southeastern Hays County. Spring Lake (at 29°53' N, 97°56' W) is produced from San Marcos Springs,qv which has an average daily flow of 150 to 300 million gallons a day, half a dozen other large outlets from the giant Edwards Aquifer, and a great many small seepages. These combine to form the San Marcos River.
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San Pedro Springs (Texas)

San Pedro Springs is located mainly in San Pedro Parkqv in San Antonio (at 29°27' N, 98°30'W). The springs were named by Father Isidro Félix de Espinosaqv when he discovered them in 1709. A couple of miles downstream from the springs was the first site of San Antonio de Valero Mission, where the water was used to irrigate crops

The water flows from the Edwards and associated limestones along the Balcones fault zone. The springs are recharged from streams up to 100 miles west. In recent years, the flow of the springs has been declining and erratic due to the heavy demands of well pumping.
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Silver Springs (Texas)

Silver Springs is a group of springs that empty into Silver Lake sixteen miles northeast of Morton on the Cochran-Hockley county line (at 33°48' N, 102°37' W). The largest of the Silver Springs emerges on the Jack McCutchin Ranch in Cochran County; its flow was measured at 0.63 liters per second in April 1978, but the flow during dry periods is negligible. Other smaller springs are located in Hockley County. Salt cedars, cattails, and rushes surround them.
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Las Moras Springs (Texas)

Las Moras Springs, the ninth largest group of springs in Texas, is on the property of Fort Clark in Brackettville (at 29°19' N, 100°25' W). The springs rise under artesian pressure from the Edwards and associated limestones and pass through a fault in the overlying formation.
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Browder's (Browder) Springs (Texas)

Browder's (Browder) Springs, located a mile southeast of the Dallas County Courthouse (at 32°43' N, 96°45' W), played two important roles in the early history of Dallas: as the first public water supply for the town and subsequently as a ruse by which Dallas captured the Texas and Pacific Railway.

The springs disappeared when Mill Creek became a sewer in the 1930s, and the location was buried under R. L. Thornton Freeway in the 1960s.
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Doans Springs (Texas)

The group of small springs known as Doans Springs is twelve miles north of Vernon near the Doans community in northern Wilbarger County (at 34°21' N, 99°15' W).

In earlier times the springwater flow formed a mile-long creek. By the late 1970s, however, the springs had been reduced to wet-weather seeps.
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Sulphur Springs Draw (Texas)

Sulphur Springs Draw enters Texas in western Yoakum County at Bronco (at 33°16' N, 103°05' W). It flows southeast for 100 miles through Terry, Dawson, Martin, and Howard counties. The confluence of Sulphur Springs Draw with Mustang Draw (at 32°12' N, 101°36' W), seven miles west of Big Spring, forms Beals Creek.

What little water remains in the springs of Sulphur Springs Draw has probably been contaminated by oilfield brine.
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San Antonio Springs (Texas)

San Antonio Springs, in San Antonio, is the fifth largest cluster of springs in Texas. The springs flow from the Edwards and associated limestones by way of faults in the Balcones fault zone. Originally there were over 100 of them.

Heavy pumping of the groundwater, primarily by the city, caused the spring flow to become erratic in the later twentieth century, sometimes to cease altogether. Since 1926 the springs have been partially protected by the Olmos dam from flooding and sedimentation. The springs are now located chiefly on the property of Incarnate Word College. The springs and surrounding area have been designated the Source of the River Archeological District and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Artifacts of Paleo-Indian cultures over 11,000 years old have been found on the site.
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Carrizo Springs (Texas)

Carrizo Springs is a line of springs through the town of Carrizo Springs in Dimmit County (at 28°31' N, 99°52' W), named for the reeds that grow abundantly near Carrizo Creek.
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Barton Springs (Texas)

Barton Springs, the fourth largest springs in Texas, is located in Zilker Park in southwest Austin. There artesian water issues from the cavernous Edwards and associated limestones in the Balcones fault zone. For thousands of years the springs were a gathering place for Indians.
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Boquillas Hot Springs (Texas)

Boquillas Hot Springs is a group of hot (41°C, 106°F) springs about two miles west of Rio Grande Village and five miles north of Boquillas in Big Bend National Park,qv southern Brewster County.

The springs are probably fed by surface-recharged water that circulates to a depth of about 700 meters, where it is heated; it then returns to the surface along faults and emerges from the Boquillas limestone on the bank of the Rio Grande. The rate of flow has been falling since the early twentieth century.
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Goodenough Springs (Texas)

The Goodenough Springs, also called Hinojosa Springs, are now submerged by Amistad Reservoir on the Rio Grande west of Del Rio in Val Verde County (at 29°32' N, 101°15' W). Before 1968, when they were inundated by Amistad, they were the third largest group of springs in Texas, with an average annual flow of 3,900 liters per second. In the early 1900s the springs powered a waterwheel used to raise irrigation water to the top of the adjacent high bluff. The springs rise from limestone under artesian pressure but are now on the northeast side of the lake at a point normally beneath forty-six meters of water; this submergence has considerably reduced the springs' flow. In winter, when the springwater is warmer than the lake water, it rises to the surface and produces a smooth area. The springs' location is marked by a buoy.
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Phantom Lake Spring (Texas)

Phantom Lake Spring (sometimes Springs) is actually a group of springs that pour from a cavern at the foot of a lower Cretaceous limestone bluff four miles west of Toyahvale in northeastern Jeff Davis County (at 30°56' N, 103°51' W). The area surrounding the springs is mostly rugged with high relief.
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Coyote Springs (Texas)

Coyote Springs, also called Indian Springs, was seven miles south of the New Mexico state line in northeastern Loving County (at 31°54' N, 103°29' W). The springs flowed from red sandstone overlain by Quaternary sands and gravels.

During the twentieth century farmers and ranchers sank wells and sapped the water table, and the springs ran dry.
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Dalby Springs (Texas)

Dalby Springs is the collective name for what was originally four springs about 11½ miles south of DeKalb in southwestern Bowie County (at 33°22' N, 94°41' W).

Although the springs still flowed weakly in the 1980s, by that time several pitcher-pump wells were in use to obtain the water. A state historical marker is located at the church that stands south of the springs.
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Flag Springs (Texas)

Flag Springs is a popular spring-fed watering hole and cow camp on the Fort Worth-Fort Belknap road and an unnamed tributary of Salt Creek, ten miles east of Fort Belknap and three miles north of Graham in central Young County.
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Estelline Salt Springs (Texas)

Estelline Salt Springs is a group of brine springs less than a mile east of Estelline at the Childress county line in east central Hall County (at 34°33' N, 100°25' W). The springs are located on the floodplain of the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River; they became active around the turn of the century when they washed out a funnel in the alluvium.
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San Solomon Springs (Texas)

San Solomon Springs (also known as Mescalero or Head Springs), the seventh largest group of springs in Texas, rises in southwestern Reeves County (at 30°57' N, 103°47' W) and flows into a swimming pool in Balmorhea State Park in Toyahvale.
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More Info:
The 77,053 square ft San Solomon Spring is the focal point of Balmorhea State Park. From 22 to 28 million gallons of water flow through the spring-fed swimming pool each day. Other CCC structures in the park include a limestone concession building, two wooden bathhouses, an adobe superintendent residence, and San Solomon Courts, an early expression of the modern-day motel, constructed of adobe bricks. All of the CCC buildings are constructed in a Spanish Colonial style with stucco exteriors and tile roofs.
Balmorhea State Park

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Leona (or Mountain Lioness) Springs (Texas)

Leona (or Mountain Lioness) Springs is actually four groups of springs on the Leona River in Uvalde County, the first just southeast of Uvalde and the last seven miles southeast of the city. The springs rise under artesian pressure from the limestone of the Edwards aquifer, recharged by the Nueces River and streams to the northwest. The spring flow generally lags behind the rainfall by several months. The four main groups of springs once flowed from a higher level, but nearly all the springs are now beneath the surface of the river.
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Beauchamps Springs (Texas)

Beauchamps Springs, also known as Beauchampville, was on White Oak Bayou near Woodland Park on the north side of Houston. In 1838 efforts by the Houston Water Works Company to pipe water from a shallow artesian well in Beauchamps Springs two miles into Houston failed. According to various sources, the name may have attached to four separate springs, among them Riordan's Spring, which were described in 1838 as providing an "inexhaustible supply" of pure water.

During the Civil War qv a Confederate campsite was located at the springs. Sources suggest that the community of Beauchamps Springs later grew up near the springs. By the 1980s, after nearby highway development, little more than a trickle of water remained of the springs or of Beauchamps Creek, which formerly flowed from the springs.
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Soda Springs (Texas)

Soda Springs, once known as Sour Springs, is a small rural community on Farm Road 1322 five miles northeast of Luling in southern Caldwell County. The community post office, which operated from 1857 to 1880, took the name Sour Springs because the local springs had an odd taste caused by a high sodium carbonate content in the water.
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Persimmon Springs (Texas)

Persimmon Springs, also known as Cimarron Springs or Cameron Springs, is seven miles south-southeast of Archer City in south central Archer County (at 33°27' N, 98°39' W). The springs appear under the name Cimarron Springs on a number of early maps...
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San Felipe Springs (Texas)

San Felipe Springs, the third largest springs in Texas, is a group of springs that extends two miles along San Felipe Creek northeast of Del Rio in Val Verde County (centered at 29°22'N, 100°52' W). The water rises under artesian pressure through a fault in the rock.
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Leoncita Springs (Texas)

The Leoncita Springs are a group of historically important springs 18½ miles northeast of Alpine in Brewster County (at 30°39' N, 103°26' W). Many artifacts, such as stone projectile points and metates, have been found at the site, attesting to its long occupation by Indians.
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Roaring Springs (Texas)

The Roaring Springs (at 33°51' N, 100°52' W), formerly known as Jessamine Springs, are a group of springs near the Tongue or South Pease River three miles south of the town of Roaring Springs and a mile west of State Highway 70 in south central Motley County. The springs are recharged on the High Plains to the west, where rain seeps into the Ogallala sand and Dockum sandstone. They were named for the sound of the rushing water that travelers could hear a considerable distance away. Ancient people used bedrock mortar holes in the sandstone near the springs to grind corn, hackberries, and various fruits and nuts.
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Delaware Springs (Texas)

Delaware Springs is a group of mineral springs located twenty miles east of the community of Pine Springs in northeastern Culberson County (at 31°52' N, 104°29' W). The surrounding terrain is mainly flat, with some locally steep slopes. Creosote bush, cacti, and sparse grasses grow in the shallow, stony soil of the area. These springs were of great importance to early travelers and were variously known as Head Springs, Five Springs, Ojo de San Martín, and La Cienega (the swamp). Capt. Francisco Amangualqv camped at the springs in 1808. Some of the springs are highly mineralized, and others are relatively fresh. In 1976 the springs produced sixteen liters per second.
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Salado Springs (Texas)

The Salado Springs are five groups of moderately large springs at Salado in the Balcones fault zone in Bell County. The springs, which are not saline, were probably named after Salado Creek

The primary recharge area for the springs is probably to the southwest in Williamson County, where several faults cross Salado Creek. Water enters the Edwards limestone here and moves northeast toward the springs. In the 1980s the average accumulated discharge from all the springs was around 460 liters a second.
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San Marcos Springs (Texas)

San Marcos Springs, the second largest natural cluster of springs in Texas, is two miles northeast of the county courthouse in San Marcos in southeastern Hays County (at 29°53' N, 97°56' W). The springs were originally called Canocanayesatetlo (meaning "warm water," although the water is only slightly warm) by the Tonkawa Indians; they have also been known as St. Mark's Spring and recently as Aquarena Springs.qv The springs' artesian flow issues from the Edwards and associated limestones in three large fissures and some 200 smaller openings along the Balcones fault zone, thus forming Spring Lake and the San Marcos River.
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Hughes Springs (Texas_

Hughes Springs is on State Highway 49 and the Louisiana and Arkansas line, a mile from the Morris county line in southwestern Cass County. In 1839 Reese Hughes built the first cabin in the area near three mineral springs. The springs, first called Chalybeate Springs, soon came to be known as Hughes Springs, as did the settlement which grew up there.
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Comanche Springs (Texas)

Comanche Springs was in the southeastern part of the town of Fort Stockton in central Pecos County. The springs, the source of Comanche Creek, flowed from a fault in Comanchean limestone.

A county bathhouse, swimming pool, and pavilion were constructed at Comanche Springs in 1938. By March 1961 the springs had ceased flowing. The rare and endangered Comanche Springs pupfish lived there until the springs dried up.
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Indian Hot Springs (Texas)

The Indian Hot Springs, a cluster of seven geothermal springs with high mineral constituents, are on the Rio Grande twenty-five miles south of Sierra Blanca in southern Hudspeth County (at 30°50' N, 105°19' W). They are within the floodplain, spread out over a 700-by-300-meter area at the southern edge of the Quitman Mountains.
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Comal Springs (Texas)

Click image to enlarge


Only a small portion of total springflow comes from the largest springs shown in the graphic above. Special springflow measurements made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey determined that most of the spring flows (about 78%) come from the many small springs and seeps under and around the shores of Landa Lake (McKinney and Sharp, 1995). Most of the water that becomes Comal springflow originates with recharge far to the west of the Springs and moves through major flow zones in Medina and Bexar counties on its way toward New Braunfels (see Flowpath Map). In five ground-water trace tests performed by Ogden, Quick, and Rothermel (1986) around Comal Springs, none of the dye appeared at any of the spring orifices. This supported earlier hypotheses that very little recent, locally derived recharge waters emerge from Comal Springs.
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The Comal Springs, the largest group of natural springs in Texas, is on the northwestern edge of New Braunfels in southeastern Comal County (at 29°41' N, 98°08' W). After filtering through the Edwards and associated limestones, the springs' artesian flow issues from several fissures along the Comal Springs fault and feeds Landa Lake and the Comal River.
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Fort Richardson Springs (Texas)

The Fort Richardson Springs are a group of strongly flowing freshwater springs on Lost Creek near Jacksboro in Jack County (at 33°12' N, 98°10' W). The springs flow from cavities in the Cisco limestone at an elevation of 1,082 feet above sea level. They provided water for the fort that was at a site nearby from 1866 to 1878. Individual springs in this group are called Murphy, Rumbling, McConnell, Stone, and Dennis. On May 11, 1979, the combined flow from the springs was more than eleven gallons per second. In recent years the water has occasionally become contaminated from human activities in the area.
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Alabama's Groundwater: Part II

The waters on the surface of the earth and beneath the earth are not separate. Water is constantly moving from one zone to the other, this is called the hydrologic cycle. Alabama receives approximately 56 inches of rain a year. Thirty-three inches of this water is evaporated from the surface of the earth and is transpired by plants that take up water through their roots. Approximately 16 inches will run-off to feed lakes and streams and 7 inches will seep into the ground to become groundwater. Groundwater may discharge as springs or seeps into surface water, completing the cycle. The way that groundwater and surface water move through and on the soils is dependent on the rock types.
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Alabama's Groundwater: Part I

Alabama is divided into five groundwater provinces: the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Valley and Ridge, Cumberland Plateau, and Highland Rim.

Valley and Ridge
The limestone aquifers in the Valley and Ridge feed many springs including Coldwater Spring, which has an average discharge of 31.2 million gpd. Few springs approach the flow rate of Coldwater Spring; however, large springs are common in the Valley and Ridge because of conduit flow in limestone and dolomite aquifer.

Cumberland Plateau
Springs in the Cumberland Plateau are common, yielding 10 to 100 gpm of water from
limestone, sandstone and shale.

Highland Rim
The Highland Rim includes two of Alabama’s biggest springs, Tuscumbia Big Spring and Huntsville Big Spring. The Bangor Limestone and Hartselle Sandstone supply minor amounts of groundwater, mostly from wells producing 10 gpm or less.
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Seven Springs (Alabama)

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Map Source

Seven Springs flows into the Terrapin Creek.

“The creek, which originates in Northwest Georgia and runs for about 55 miles before emptying into the Coosa River below Weiss Dam, is heavily spring-fed and holds water really well,” Mike said. “There are over 30 watersheds that empty into Terrapin Creek. When the water is just right, there's a quarter-mile long Class 2 rapid that will generate some excitement,” he said.

“Even during the hot, dry summer months when most other Alabama creeks and rivers are too dry to float, you'll find Terrapin Creek still going strong,” he said. “There's an underground spring near the end of the trip called Seven Springs that boaters always think is just amazing; by itself it pumps about a million gallons of water a day into the creek.”
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More Info:
Terrapin Outdoor Center

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Database of Historically Documented Springs and Spring Flow Measurements in Texas

Click image to enlarge


The database of this report provides information about springs and spring flow in Texas including spring names, identification numbers, location, and, if available, water source and use. This database does not include every spring in Texas, but is limited to an aggregation of selected digital and hard-copy data of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), and Capitol Environmental Services.

After removal of duplicate spring records, 1,891 springs populate the final database.

Note: Download and extract the zipped report files (1.47MB) for the Microsoft Access Database of spring names with GPS coordinates.
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Alabama - Spring Locations

652 Springs listed for Alabama with GPS Coordinates. Click on the individual spring name for options to display the feature in U.S. mapping services such as Google Map
Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)

Bladon Springs State Park (Alabama)

3921 Bladon Rd.
Bladon Springs, AL 36919
251-754-9207

Centering around four mineral springs, this 357-acre park in Choctaw County provides modern campsites, shelters, tables and grills for daytime and nighttime family outings.
Alabama State Parks

Blue Springs State Park (Alabama)

2595 Hwy. 10
Clio, AL 36017
334-397-4875

Directions- Located six miles east of Clio in southeast Alabama.

Fed by a crystal-clear underground spring, the park's spring pool is the center of attention in this 103-acre park. Other complementing facilities include picnic shelters, tables, grills, comfort stations, playground, and modern or primitive campground.


Blue Springs is open from Memorial Day - Labor Day, 8:00 A.M. til 7:00 P.M. and from 8:00 A.M. til 4:00 P.M.during the other months.
Alabama State Parks

Big Spring Park (Georgia)

Big Spring Park in Cedartown, Georgia (Polk County) is the second largest natural limestone spring in the southern United States. Producing four million gallons of water per day, it provides water to 10,000 people in northwest Georgia.
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Jay Bird Springs (Georgia)

Inside the Jay Bird Springs Resort & Campgrounds

Jay Bird Springs Rd.
Chauncey, GA 31011
Contact: (229) 868-2728

A 40-acre recreation park. 60X100 foot swimming pool of spring water. Water slide, roller skating rink, ball fields, picnic grounds, miniature golf, motel, cottage, RV Park and camping facilities. Located in Southern Dodge County 12 miles SE of Eastman off Hwy 341 or 40 miles South of Dublin Hwy 319 & 441. Look for signs
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Lithia Springs (Georgia)

Contact: 770-944-3880

Lithia Springs Mineral Water Company
P.O. Box 713
2910 Veterans Memorial Highway
Lithia Springs, Georgia 30122
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Powder Springs (Georgia)

The Seven Springs Museum is located in Powder Springs Park in downtown Powder Springs. The museum offers a glimpse into local history and affords visitors to see one of the original seven springs just across the park. Operated by the Powder Springs Historical Society, the museum is open part time. Call 770.943.7949 for hours of operation.
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Settlers came in numbers when the land in the area of Powder Springs became available through the Gold Lottery in the 1830s and in 1838 the Town of Springville was incorporated. Springville became known for the seven medicinal mineral springs surrounding the area. The mineral water from these springs caused the sand around the springs to turn black like gunpowder and the City was incorporated as Powder Springs in 1859..

In the 1850s Powder Springs became known as a health resort. Since the water from these springs could not be transported, people came from great distances to partake. In some cases, doctors prescribed a trip to the springs as a treatment for patients with serious kidney and bladder disease.
Powder Springs, GA - Official Website

Warm Springs (Georigia)

Warm Springs, GA

Contact the Welcome Center at (706) 655-3322 or 1-800-337-1927

It was the late former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who first gave national recognition to Warm Springs when, in 1924, he visited the town's naturally heated mineral springs as treatment for his polio related paralysis. Georgia State Parks recently refurbished the pools and, although they are now mostly empty, a touch pool still exists where visitors are welcome to feel the actual warm spring water and listen to information about its' history. The warm springs maintains a constant 88 degree temperature year round and flows at approximately 914 gallons per minute.

Unfortunately the springs are not available for public use as a bath/spa resort, but they are used by the Roosevelt Institute for therapeutic purposes. The Springs Complex is open daily for tours from 9:00 am til 4:45 pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. For more information call 706-655-5870.
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Radium Springs (Georgia)

Radium Springs is located within the county just south of Albany. The springs are the largest in Georgia, discharging 70,000 gallons of 68 degree water each minute. The springs received its current name in 1925 when the spring water tested was found to contain traces of radium isotopes. During the 1920s a club casino was operated on the banks of the springs.
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Conservation group maps Radium Springs Caves
Paul DeLoach: Leading the Expedition for Flint River Conservation
Wikipedia - Radium Springs, GA
Radium Springs isn't springing anymore

Mock Springs (Georgia)

Highway 26
Hawkinsville, GA 31036
(Pulaski County, GA)

Contact: (478) 783-0088

Natural spring open Monday - Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. $2.50 per person, children under 6 free. Enjoy swimming in the cold water and take a picnic lunch to enjoy in the picnic area. Mock Springs is open May - September.
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Cave Spring (Georgia)

Located in Rolater Park (Cave Spring, GA)

Step back in time when Cave Spring's natural limestone cave was being created, with its impressive stalagmites and legendary "Devil's Stool" formation. You'll welcome its constant, 57-degree coolness on a hot summer's day. The Cave, located in Rolater Park just off the town square, is open daily from May through September, and by appointment at other times. Call 706-777-9944 or 706-777-3994.
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More Info:
Cave Spring, Georgia

Indian Springs State Park (Georgia)



Indian Springs State Park
678 Lake Clark Road
Flovilla , GA 30216
Contact: 770-504-2277

Located off I-75 in middle Georgia, Indian Springs is thought to be the oldest state park in the nation. It was acquired by the state in 1825 and became an official "State Forest Park" in 1927. The Creek Indians used the springs for centuries to heal the sick and impart extra vigor to the well.
Georgia State Parks

Magnolia Springs State Park (Georgia)



Magnolia Springs State Park
1053 Magnolia Springs Dr
Millen , GA 30442
Contact: 478-982-1660
Georgia State Parks

Georgia's Springs: Warm and Cold

Below the surface of the earth is a tremendous resource that many of us take advantage of-- spring water. We'll explore springs around the state for their beauty, their importance in the environment and we'll even visit some ole-fashioned cold-water swimming holes.

(Includes link to to watch online and transcript of show)
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