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Big Spring (Missouri)
Encyclopedia
Big Spring is one of the largest springs in the United States
and the world. An enormous first magnitude spring
, it rises at the base of a bluff on the west side of the Current River
valley in the Missouri
Ozarks. Located a couple miles downstream from Van Buren
, it is within the boundaries of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways
system, and its visitor facilities are managed by the National Park Service
.
The average flow of 470 cubic feet (13,308.9 l) of water per second from Big Spring constitutes the second largest tributary of the Current River. The spring is by far the largest spring in the Ozark Plateau region. The only two springs in the Ozark region that approach the size of Big Spring are Greer Spring and Mammoth Spring
. Maximum discharge of Big Spring must be estimated because backwater from the Current River makes accurate high water measurements impossible. The spring issues from the base of a limestone bluff, churning out aqua-blue water with great force, creating white caps, then quickly calming to a crystal clear channel. The spring water travels about 1000 feet (304.8 m) where it adds itself to the Current River. The water is about 58 degrees fahrenheit (13.3C), and the Spring is surrounded by a well maintained park and a steep valley hillside covered in hardwood forest. Most of the known drainage basin encompasses northern areas of the Eleven Point River
watershed. Big Spring is ever increasing in size, as the groundwater continues to dissolve limestone
in a vast karst
system, and continuation of stream capture in greater quantities. The spring is estimated to dissolve and remove 175 tons of limestone during an average day. The amounts of limestone dissolved and removed by the spring system in one year is estimated to equal a one mile (1.6 km) long cave
30 feet (9.1 m) high 50 feet (15.2 m) wide, though that amount is dispersed among all parts of the karst system.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the world. An enormous first magnitude spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, it rises at the base of a bluff on the west side of the Current River
Current River (Missouri)
The Current River forms in the southeastern portion of the Ozarks of Missouri and becomes a 7th order stream as it flows southeasterly out of the Ozarks into northeastern Arkansas where it becomes a tributary of the Black River, which is a tributary of the White River, a tributary of the...
valley in the Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
Ozarks. Located a couple miles downstream from Van Buren
Van Buren, Missouri
Van Buren is a city in Carter County, Missouri, United States. The population was 845 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town. It is the county seat of Carter County. The city was organized in 1830 and was named for United States Secretary of State Martin Van Buren.-Geography:Van Buren is...
, it is within the boundaries of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is a national park in the Ozarks of southern Missouri in the U.S..The park was created by an Act of Congress in 1964 to protect the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, and it was formally dedicated in 1971. The park's are used for many forms of recreation and are...
system, and its visitor facilities are managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
The average flow of 470 cubic feet (13,308.9 l) of water per second from Big Spring constitutes the second largest tributary of the Current River. The spring is by far the largest spring in the Ozark Plateau region. The only two springs in the Ozark region that approach the size of Big Spring are Greer Spring and Mammoth Spring
Mammoth Spring
Mammoth Spring is a very large first magnitude spring and is the largest spring in the state of Arkansas and one of the three largest springs within the Ozark Plateau region. It is located in Mammoth Spring State Park, a state park of Arkansas, in the extreme north-central part of the state at the...
. Maximum discharge of Big Spring must be estimated because backwater from the Current River makes accurate high water measurements impossible. The spring issues from the base of a limestone bluff, churning out aqua-blue water with great force, creating white caps, then quickly calming to a crystal clear channel. The spring water travels about 1000 feet (304.8 m) where it adds itself to the Current River. The water is about 58 degrees fahrenheit (13.3C), and the Spring is surrounded by a well maintained park and a steep valley hillside covered in hardwood forest. Most of the known drainage basin encompasses northern areas of the Eleven Point River
Eleven Point River
The Eleven Point River is a river in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, United States. It originates near Willow Springs, Missouri. It more than doubles in flow when Greer Spring Branch runs into it, adding over of water per day to the river. The name derives from the Mississippi Valley...
watershed. Big Spring is ever increasing in size, as the groundwater continues to dissolve limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
in a vast karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
system, and continuation of stream capture in greater quantities. The spring is estimated to dissolve and remove 175 tons of limestone during an average day. The amounts of limestone dissolved and removed by the spring system in one year is estimated to equal a one mile (1.6 km) long cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
30 feet (9.1 m) high 50 feet (15.2 m) wide, though that amount is dispersed among all parts of the karst system.
See also
- List of Missouri rivers
- List of Arkansas rivers
- List of Ozark springs
- Karst springKarst springA karst spring is a spring that is part of a karst system. That includes the underground drainage of a much larger area, which means that karst springs often have a very large discharge...
- SpringSpring (hydrosphere)A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...