Radium Springs, on the southern outskirts of Albany GA, is best known as the location of one of the "Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia" and is the largest natural artesian spring in the state. The deep blue waters of Radium Springs flow at 70,000 gallons (265,000 liters) per minute and empty into the Flint River. There is also an extensive 1,532-foot-long underwater cavern system located under the spring. The water at Radium Springs contains trace sources of radium and the temperature is a cool 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) year round.
Prior to the discovery of radium in the water in 1925, the site was known as "Blue Springs" because of its beautiful clear blue water. Some of the purest water in the world can be found in caves hundreds of feet below Albany. This same pristine water flows from every faucet in the city. Its purity and plentiful supply are why many large manufacturers have chosen to build and expand in Albany.
Radium Springs became well known for its elaborate restaurant and casino, which was built overlooking the springs in the 1920s, and the area experienced a tourism heyday as a spa and resort. Flooding of the Flint River in 1994 and 1998 severely damaged the casino, and it was ultimately demolished in 2003. The spring has since been purchased by the state of Georgia to protect water quality, as well as to serve as green space, habitat for striped bass spawning, and an educational resource.
Albany is also known as the Artesian City because of its location on one of the largest artesian aquifers in the state.
About artesian springs:
An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater that will flow upward through a well without the need for pumping. Water may even reach the ground surface if the natural pressure is high enough, in which case the well is called a flowing artesian well. An aquifer provides the water for an artesian well. An aquifer is a layer of soft rock, like limestone or sandstone, that absorbs water from an inlet path. Porous stone is confined between impermeable rocks or clay. This keeps the pressure high, so when the water finds an outlet, it overcomes gravity and goes up instead of down.
A spring may be the result of karst topography where surface water has infiltrated the Earth's surface (recharge area), becoming part of the area groundwater. The groundwater then travels though a network of cracks and fissures - openings ranging from intergranular spaces to large caves. The water eventually emerges from below the surface, in the form of a spring.
The forcing of the spring to the surface can be the result of a confined aquifer in which the recharge area of the spring water table rests at a higher elevation than that of the outlet. Spring water forced to the surface by elevated sources are artesian wells. This is possible even if the outlet is in the form of a 300-foot deep cave. In this case the cave is used like a hose by the higher elevated recharge area of groundwater to exit through the lower elevation opening. The action of the groundwater continually dissolves permeable bedrock such as limestone and dolmite creating vast cave systems.
When visiting the spring, park in the gravel parking area and take a moment to read the signs at the information kiosk, then proceed to the observation deck overlooking the south end of the spring. (Note: the area of the park around the actual spring is under construction. The posted coordinates will take you to a section of the park overlooking the creek that runs off the spring. When construction is finished on the new section of the park, the coordinates will be updated.)
To gain credit for this Earthcache, please post a photo of yourself and your GPS with some part of the spring/creek in the background. You must also send an email with the answers to the following questions. THIS IS A REQUIREMENT! Do not post the answers in your log. Logs without photos or an email with the required answers will be deleted.
Using information obtained from the sign at the information kiosk, answer the following:
1. Name the 5 major aquifer systems that occur in the Albany area.
2. There are many different types of wetlands, each performing unique functions. What kind of wetland is found here at Radium Springs?
3. Name at least 2 types of rare animals that inhabit Radium Springs and the Flint River Basin.
4. Also explain, in your own words, why artesian springs often have large underwater cave systems.
Good luck and Happy EarthCaching!