Ebb And Flow Springs

Ebb And Flow Springs:

NEWS UPDATE! 4-25-07: We have just downloaded another set of data from the transducers. Not much interesting going on because we've had a bunch of rain. I have assembled a single image file for your viewing pleasure. Download it here (3Mb) or here (~1Mb) and then zoom in and scroll from side to side to see how discharge has varied since we installed the wiers.

Large file (3Mb) Small file (~1Mb)

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This project is a collaborative effort by many people, including the owner of the spring, Mr. Bob Lockridge. Phil and Charlotte Lucas, Bill Jones and I are doing most of the data collection and processing at the moment. Phil and Charlotte started things rolling when they heard the spring was an ebb and flow spring and put a pressure transducer in the creek. So far, we have had generous help from several people during installation and repair of the weirs, including Bob Lockridge, Al Grimm, Bill Royster, Keith Wheeland, Frank Marks and Cori Schwartz. Thanks to all of them!

Here is some preliminary information about the ebb and flow spring. This document (1.9 mb) is a pdf collection of charts showing discharge and temperature data at the upper and lower weir over a period of about 8 weeks.

We have had a problem keeping the weir from washing out during high discharge events, but I think we will have this fixed soon. Unfortunately, using concrete is not an option because the owner has a trout pond just below the lower weir! We have observed many different flow periods, as well as different types of discharge profiles during these peaks. Examples include: large spikes followed by gradual tapering off to base-level, 15 to 20 minute small magnitude periods, negative flow spikes followed by a return to base-level, Negative spikes followed by positive spikes, and many others. Periods range from 15 minutes to approximately one week and several ebb and flow signals commonly overlap one another. There does seem to be a correlation between period type and base level discharge, though most of the periodic flow events appear to have no connection with recent weather events.

Phil and Charlotte have written a short history of our efforts at the spring so far. You can read this here

Expect to see a lot more on this page in the near future.