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.
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