Blue Spring Natural Area
Blue Spring Natural Area
Osage Indians called it the "Spring of the Summer Sky." The poetry of the Indian name fits this woodland gem better than the descriptive Anglo name. Few who view Blue Spring are not inspired. When I look into its azure depths I wonder how the red-tailed hawk soaring above might see it. To the hawk it must look like the earth's eye with its clear deep pool, its jutting brow of cliff and its lashes of tall trees. I am reminded of Thoreau's Walden Pond... "It is the earth's eye, looking into the depths of which one can see his own soul."
Blue Spring is a precious Missouri heritage. In addition to its undisturbed beauty it is valuable for the native plants and animals which live in its waters and on the adjacent land. Cane (bamboo), blue mist flower and cardinal flower grow along its banks. Resurrection ferns and mistletoe, close to their northern range limits, grow in the trees. An array of plants and animals thrive in the water which has a constant temperature of about 57 degrees. (Spring water, by the way, reflects the average temperature of a region.)
This spring wells up in a quiet pool at the base of a bluff from a depth of over 300 feet, making it the state's deepest spring. It is also our sixth largest spring, with an average daily flow of 90 million gallons. Wave lengths of light are both absorbed and reflected by the clear deep water to give it the sky blue color. Daily and seasonal variations in sunlight cause subtle changes in the spring's shades of blue. Heavy rains may cloud the water with sediment and more than double the spring's flow.
Our unimaginative ancestors ran out of adjectives before they ran out of springs. The result is that we have "blue springs" all over the place.
This Blue Spring is on the left bank of the Current River (left and right being determined by a downstream approach) about 1 1/2 miles downstream from the Powder Mill Ferry Bridge on Highway 106. If you are a canoeist, there is a boat landing on the river at the mouth of the spring branch. From the landing to the pool you can walk a couple of hundred yards to the spring on a well maintained trail.
You can reach the spring overland as well. A riverside hiking rail to the spring goes downstream 1 1/2 miles from the National Park Service's campground at Owl's Bend. Or, by driving 2.2 miles east toward Ellington from the bridge on Highway 106 and turning south (right) on the first gravel road on the ridge, you can get to the Park Service's picnic ground which is only a quarter of a mile from the spring. (The road is steep and should not be attempted with a trailer.) A short trail from the parking lot will take you to the spring.
Natural Area Facts
Size: 17 acres.
Date of Designation: June 27, 1972.
Location: Along the Current River about 1 1/2 miles downstream from the Powder Mill Ferry Bridge. Access is via a steep gravel road off of Highway 106. Part of Section 21, T29N, R2W, Shannon County, Powder Mill Ferry topographic quandrangle.
Natural Significance: A large, undisturbed spring and spring branch with associated aquatic plants and animals surrounded by forest. This is the sixth largest spring in Missouri with an average daily flow of 90 million gallons. It is the deepest spring in Missouri.
Ownership and Management: Blue Spring is part of the 3,077-acre Carr Creek State Forest and is administered by the Missouri Department of Conservation. For additional information contact: District Forester, Clearwater Forest District, Star Route Box #2, Highway 34, Piedmont, MO 63957. Telephone 314/223-4525.
Special Regulations: This area receives heavy use and public cooperation is needed to maintain its pristine quality. Stay on designated trails to protect vegetation. Swimming, wading, boating, and fishing are prohibited in the spring and spring branch.
SHANNON 15 Blue Spring
A 17-acre portion of the Current River Conservation Area along the Current River about 1.5 miles downstream from the Powder Mill Ferry Bridge in Section 21, T29N, R2W, Powder Mill Ferry 7.5 min. topographic map. Access is via a steep gravel road off Hwy 106 (Shannon County Road 535), by foot trail from Owl's Bend Campground (Ozark National Scenic Riverways) or by boat. Designated June 27, 1972.
Natural Features
A large, beautiful, undisturbed spring and spring branch with associated aquatic plants and animals surrounded by forest in the Lower Ozarks Section of the Ozark Natural Division. A depth of around 300 feet makes Blue Spring Missouri's deepest. It ranks sixth in the state in average daily flow (90 million gallons). The natural area is owned by the Department of Conservation. Public cooperation is essential to maintain Blue Spring's pristine quality. Please stay on designated trails to protect the vegetation. Wading, swimming, boating and fishing are prohibited in the spring and spring branch. For further information contact the Ellington Field Office, Route 2 Box 187, Ellington, MO 63638, phone 573/663-7130.
