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Alley Spring, near Eminence, empties 80 million gallons of water per day into the upper Jacks Fork River. The mill built there  in 1894, which is now a museum, is located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and is part of a park which also includes a pioneer one-room schoolhouse, swimming and picnic areas, hiking trails and campgrounds.

The largest single outlet spring in America, Big Spring is located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways near Van Buren.  Its water rises from the base of a limestone bluff and pours 276 million gallons of water per day into the nearby Current River.  Its recharge area, from where its waters come, is estimated at 967 square miles.  Bug Spring Historic District within the park features a lodge and cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the late 1930s.  Available activities include camping, fishing, canoeing, and hiking. 

Mammoth Spring State Park, located just across the state line in Arkansas, is named for the largest spring in Arkansas and the tenth largest in the world.  Emerging from a rock face 70 feet below the surface of the pool, the spring pours 9.78 million gallons an hour of cool, clear water into Spring Lake.  It is also the headwaters of Spring River, a legendary trout stream.  The spring was dammed in 1888 and a hydroelectric plant was constructed which was the area's first source of electrical power.  The metal pylons that carried electricity all the way to West Plains can still be seen along the Burlington Northern railroad line.  The vintage 1888 train depot is inside the park, and hosts a railroad museum.  The park is well outfitted with walking trails and historical markers, along with a picnic area, covered pavilion, playground and lighted baseball field.

One of the crown jewels of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, this unique and beautiful spring north of Eminence rises quietly into a nearly circular basin formed by the collapse of a cavern roof.  The basin is deep and shaded, nurturing the growth of underwater mosses that tint the water a deep aquamarine.  Part of the cave remains as a rock span through which the water flows into a spring branch that connects with the nearby Current River.  Another portion of the cave is open to the public in summer and is rich in unusual geological formations.  Picnic facilities are scenic and spacious.

Steep but well marked, the trail to Greer Spring has been described as "half a mile down and five miles back."  It's well worth the walk.  Named for Samuel W. Greer, who first harnessed the scenic spring north of Alton in the 1870s, it is now part of the Mark Twain National Forest.  Its daily outflow of 220 million gallons of water  more than doubles the size of the Eleven Point River into which it flows.

Other SPRINGS:
* Hodgson Mill Spring * Roubidoux Spring *
* North Fork Spring * Cave Spring *

for more information on the springs, click on the name.

"Ozark Springs"

Jewels of the Ozarks

by Mike Gossett

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.

How much water flows from them?

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