Mammoth Spring
Encyclopedia
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 town of Mammoth Spring
. The outlet pool of the spring is located a just to the east of U.S. highway 63 and roughly 500 hundred feet south of the Missouri border. Mammoth Spring's large outlet pool can easily be seen by travelers on US 63. The spring's large volume of water rushes a few hundred feet before merging with the Warm Fork of the Spring River to form the Spring River
headwaters. The cold water provides excellent trout fishing conditions in addition to ample water for float trips on the Spring River. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
in June, 1972.
seeps into the water table
and flows through a vast system of passages and cavities. These cavities form a main channel and the groundwater
reaches the surface at the town of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. The emerging water forms a 10 acre (40,000 m²) spring pool that drains over a high stone dam. The spring generates a flow of 10 m³/s (344 cubic feet per second). The water emerges at a constant 14 °C (58 °F). The spring itself cannot be viewed at the Mammoth Spring site because its mouth is more than 21 m (70 ft) below the surface of the large spring pool.
Nine miles northwest of Mammoth Spring visitors can see a portion of the underground river that feeds the spring at a collapsed cave
at a Missouri State Park called Grand Gulf State Park. The remains of a portion of the cave are now a 40 m (130 ft) deep chasm with a natural bridge over it. Dye tests have proven that the water flowing through the 40 m (130 ft) chasm at Grand Gulf exits through the existing cave and emerges at Mammoth Spring.
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was established. Surrounding land claims could not be acquired until 1972, however. Prior to 1972, the Mammoth Spring Cattle Sales Barn was co-owned and ran by local entrepreneur Bert Kenneth Bishop and his associate, roughly on the site of where the Welcome Center now stands. Local farmers would routinely come to the site to sell livestock and other wares, such as Howard Green, who sold home-made walking sticks. Following this period in history, the State legislature voted to condemn the land and join the plot to the state park.
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The original Frisco Depot was restored in 1971 and now functions as a repository for artifacts and memorabilia related to the railroad and the spring area. The State Park provides a visitor's center, picnic areas, walking trails, and tour access to the dam and hydro plant.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service
maintains a fish hatchery
near the spring.
36°29′51"N 91°32′08"W
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...
and is the largest spring in the state of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and one of the three largest springs within the Ozark Plateau region. It is located in Mammoth Spring State Park, a state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Arkansas, in the extreme north-central part of the state at the town of Mammoth Spring
Mammoth Spring, Arkansas
Mammoth Spring is a city in Fulton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 977 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Mammoth Spring is located at ....
. The outlet pool of the spring is located a just to the east of U.S. highway 63 and roughly 500 hundred feet south of the Missouri border. Mammoth Spring's large outlet pool can easily be seen by travelers on US 63. The spring's large volume of water rushes a few hundred feet before merging with the Warm Fork of the Spring River to form the Spring River
Spring River (Arkansas)
The Spring River is a 57-mile long river which flows through the U.S. states of Missouri and Arkansas.The Spring River consists of two branches, the South Fork of the Spring River and the Spring River proper....
headwaters. The cold water provides excellent trout fishing conditions in addition to ample water for float trips on the Spring River. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
in June, 1972.
Description
Rainfall in southern MissouriMissouri
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...
seeps into the water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
and flows through a vast system of passages and cavities. These cavities form a main channel and the groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
reaches the surface at the town of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. The emerging water forms a 10 acre (40,000 m²) spring pool that drains over a high stone dam. The spring generates a flow of 10 m³/s (344 cubic feet per second). The water emerges at a constant 14 °C (58 °F). The spring itself cannot be viewed at the Mammoth Spring site because its mouth is more than 21 m (70 ft) below the surface of the large spring pool.
Nine miles northwest of Mammoth Spring visitors can see a portion of the underground river that feeds the spring at a collapsed 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...
at a Missouri State Park called Grand Gulf State Park. The remains of a portion of the cave are now a 40 m (130 ft) deep chasm with a natural bridge over it. Dye tests have proven that the water flowing through the 40 m (130 ft) chasm at Grand Gulf exits through the existing cave and emerges at Mammoth Spring.
Industrial use
The spring was used to power a grist-mill from the times of the earliest settlers. The Mammoth Spring Milling Company constructed a dam and a water-powered grist-mill just below the site. In 1925 the dam was purchased by the Arkansas-Missouri Power Company which constructed a hydroelectric plant at the dam. This plant supplied power to the surrounding area until 1972.Park
In 1957, Mammoth Spring State ParkMammoth Spring State Park
Mammoth Spring State Park is a park surrounding Mammoth Spring. The park is located in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.The park contains a hydroelectric dam, Mammoth Spring, a train museum including a Frisco caboose, a playground, and also allows visitors feed ducks and geese in the park.-History:Prior to...
was established. Surrounding land claims could not be acquired until 1972, however. Prior to 1972, the Mammoth Spring Cattle Sales Barn was co-owned and ran by local entrepreneur Bert Kenneth Bishop and his associate, roughly on the site of where the Welcome Center now stands. Local farmers would routinely come to the site to sell livestock and other wares, such as Howard Green, who sold home-made walking sticks. Following this period in history, the State legislature voted to condemn the land and join the plot to the state park.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
maintains a fish hatchery
Fish farming
Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
near the spring.
See also
External links
36°29′51"N 91°32′08"W