National Park Service

Spring Communities Monitoring at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri 2007-2009 Status Report National Park Service

The extensive karst topography in the area surrounding Ozark National Scenic Riverways (OZAR) contributed to the formation of more than 425 springs within the park. Springs at OZAR receive portions of their baseflows from deeper karst components as well as surficial groundwater traveling through a karst landscape. Contaminates from land and surface water are known to enter surficial groundwater through rapid recharge, facilitated by the soluble bedrock system of fissures and sinkholes. Pollutants can be conveyed over great distances to springs through relatively unimpeded interbasin and subsurface transport.