| Big Spring | |
| River | |
 Big Spring in Missouri is the largest spring in the Ozarks. Pictured here at 240 cfs experiencing low flow after an extended dry period.
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Missouri |
| Region | Ozark Plateau |
| Source | Eleven Point River watershed |
| Mouth | Current River |
| - location | Van Buren, Carter County, Ozark Plateau, Missouri |
| - elevation | 429 ft (131 m) [1] |
| - coordinates | 36°57′3″N 90°59′1″W / 36.95083°N 90.98361°W [2] |
| Length | 0.2 mi (0 km) |
| Discharge | for Big Spring |
| - average | 465 cu ft/s (13 m3/s) 1981-2006 [3] |
| - max | 2,000 cu ft/s (57 m3/s) |
| - min | 236 cu ft/s (7 m3/s) |
Big Spring is one of the largest springs in the United States and the world.[1] 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 flow from Big Spring constitutes the second largest tributary of the Current River. The spring is the largest spring in the Ozark Plateau and one of the largest single outlet springs in the world. Maximum discharge 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 1,000 feet (300 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 long cave 30 feet high 50 feet wide,[2] though that amount is dispersed among all parts of the karst system.
See also
References
- Vineyard, Jerry D.; Fender, Gerald L. (1982) [1974] (PDF). Springs of Missouri. Missouri Departemnt of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey. Library of Congress Card Catalog No. 73-620125. http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/WR29.pdf.
Notes
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