Harrison Spring - The Spring

The Spring

A portion of the water that feeds the spring originates from Indian Creek, and then goes underground until it reaches the spring area. The spring percolates through a layer of Pleistocene alluvium cavern (Karst) beneath the surface of the ground and flows into a pool measuring 100 feet (30 m) by 80 feet (24 m), about 800 sq ft (74 m2) of surface area, and contains 86 million US gallons (330,000 m3) of water. It is within an abandoned meander loop, and in the periphery a natural levee. Divers have measured its depth to be between 35 and 40 feet (12 m). It produces at least 3 million US gallons (11,000 m3) of water a day at an average of 18,000 gpm, enough to supply water to an average town of 12,000. On rainy days the spring can produce as much as 30 million US gallons (110,000 m3) of water a day. The water from the spring overflows into an outlet that travels about half a mile before merging with Blue River as a tributary.

The spring is similar to many other springs around the Lost River, a large underground river that flows through Indiana roughly parallel to the Ohio River, and may be one of its several outlets. The spring is located at the low point of a subterranean gradient that the Indian Creek flows over at a higher point. Dye tests have shown that water can percolate through the karst from Indian Creek to Harrison Spring, a four mile (6 km) distance, in as little as four hours. The spring is also linked with the Wyandotte Caves, the largest cave system in the state, whose main entrance is about five miles (8 km) west of the spring.