Cold Water Springs

Cold Water Springs. Hot Springs National Park. In addition to the hot springs for which, the park is known, there are many cold springs within the park's boundaries. The springs come from underground aquifers, which are layers of porous or fractured rock filled with water. Water in aquifers is usually under hydrostatic pressure - the weight of the water at the top of the aquifer puts downward pressure on the water below it., Following the path of least resistance, the water then finds its way through the rocks to come out of the ground, creating a spring. Across Fountain Street from where you are standing is Happy Hollow Spring. The jug fountain there is a great place to re-fill your water supply for hiking or to take home. There is also a jug fountain at Whittington Spring, another of the park's cold springs, which is located on Whittington Avenue., Captions , Upper Right: The Cold Springs Pavilion on this side of Fountain Street was built in 1896 and expanded in 1908. Park records from 1895 show that the flow of the springs was 960 gallons per day, which was doubled in 1908 by deepening the well. By 1924, the springs had dried up, and the pavilion was eventually removed. , Lower Right: Did you know that the water from Happy Hollow Spring is between pH 4 and 5, or about the same acidity as orange juice? Some people prefer the taste here while others prefer the more neutral water from Whittington Spring, with a pH around 7. The pH of spring water is influenced by the types of rocks the water travels through and the length of its journey.