Springs of the Bullpasture River Gorge

Water gaps in mountain ridges are locations where large springs may be found.
The Bullpasture Gorge in Highland County is one of these. Here are four large
springs located on the west side of the gorge that drain karst areas in the
Bullpasture Valley and the Burnsville Cove. This area is considerable, over 17
square miles. The gorge is an anticline structure where the limestone strata are
turned upward. As underground streams approach the gorge their channels or
flow routes are forced to the surface by the upturning limestone resulting
in the large springs of the Bullpasture Gorge.

The first or the most westerly spring in the gorge is Emory. Many years ago
during road construction large rocks were placed over the spring beneath the
road bed. An unusual characteristic of this spring is what happens during
flooding events. The flow rate of the spring quickly increases when there is
flooding. However the spring water remains clear while the river turns brown
with its sediment load. A day or so later after the river begins to clear, the spring
becomes muddy. It takes several days for the spring to again become clear.
This phenomena is probably cause by a large storage area. Floods waters
must push through the storage before reaching the spring.

The second spring, Aqua, has the largest flow of all the Bullpasture Gorge springs.
It is also has the largest variation in its flow rates. This shows the spring
during a higher than normal flow.

This is Aqua with a high flow rate of flood water carrying a heavy sediment load.
The "boils" or mounds of water above the spring are several feet high.

The spring waters flow through this eight foot diameter culvert beneath the road.
Here the flow rate is higher than normal but easily accepted by the culvert.

The flood waters of Aqua spring are nearly exceeding the capacity of the eight
foot culvert. Only a whirlpool indicates the presence the large culvert below.

Aqua Spring's high water deposited sand along the banks of the downstream creek bed.

Cathedral is the third spring in the Bullpasture Gorge. It flows from beneath
a scree slope in an alcove on the hillside and supplies water to seasonable
cabins downstream along the river.

Blue Spring is the forth and last of the large Bullpasture Gorge springs. It is
"developed" having places for visitors to fill their drinking cups. This spring arises
from a pool nearly 50 feet deep and flows a short distance to the river.
The spring is slightly milky due to a recent flood event.

Karst Springs - Part 4

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