World's Tallest Fountain
Cache!
At 560 feet high the
centerpiece of Fountain Hills, the world famous water fountain,
rises into the air 10 feet higher than the Washington Monument when
operating at full force. The fountain sits in the middle of a lake
surrounded by a 32-acre park at the eastern end of the Avenue of
the Fountains.
The fountain has been attracting visitors from
all over the world for nearly 30 years, first activating on
December 15, 1970. For years following its introduction to the
world Guiness Book of World Records recognized it as the "worlds
highest" fountain.
Three 600-horsepower turbine pumps deliver nearly
7000 gallons of water per minute through an 18 inch nozzle. Though
the fountain is capable of soaring 560 feet into the air, the daily
height is generally around 300 feet using two of the three
pumps.
The fountain and lake were installed and designed
as an effluent (reclaimed water) storage and evaporation system. In
the winter months the fountain lake is often at full storage
capacity. During this time, the fountain may operate for longer
intervals than the standard 15 minutes and may also operate at
earlier hours each morning.
Because the fountain rises so high into the air,
it is quite easily seen from all over town. Homes perched on
hilltops overlook the fountain and surrounding mountains in many of
the neighborhoods throughout the community.
On March 17, St. Patrick's Day, people crowd
around the fountain to see its stream of water magically turn
green! The event takes place at noon.
1.) Fountain turns green on St. Patricks Day. 2.) Great Fair
Balloon Rally
The fountain's base shrouded in spray.
Take note that the fountain will not operate
during high winds to avoid spraying neighborhood homes. So if the
winds pick up you may not get a chance to view it during the hour
you happen to visit. In the event this occurs, simply take a stroll
up the Avenue of the Fountains or browse the Fountainside shops for
an hour and check back again at the top of the next hour. Chances
are the winds will calm down and the fountain will rise.
Hours of operation:
10a.m. - 9p.m. daily
Activates at the top of the hour for 15 minutes.
(Information gathered from : http://www.fountainhillsguide.com/attrac_fountain.html).
Content and Photographs Courtesy FountainHillsGuide.com. Use
Authorized.
In order to get credit for this
cache, you must e-mail GeoRaptor
(DO NOT POST THE ANSWERS IN THE
LOGS BELOW, EVEN IF ENCRYPTED!) with the following information:
What is the name of the third
person from the top on the right side of the plaque?
What month and year was the
dedication of the plaque?
I hope you enjoy the park, and if
you play disc golf, don't forget to bring your
dolphin!
Also the coordinates will only bring you to the
general location of the fountain, from there you will need to find
the plaque yourself.
