Free Natural Springs? (Kingsport, Bristol, Rogersville: live, eat, area)

[donsabi]

Anyone know of any free natural springs in the Tri-Cities area? Thanks.

[Serious Conversation]

There is one off Cleek Road in Kingsport, or was as of a few years ago, about halfway up the hill.

[kamoshika]

In Kingsport on 11-W (going toward Bristol), there's still a PVC pipe that comes out of a hillside near Crown Colony. It's kind of mysterious and I have no idea where the spring itself is, but folks have been filling gallon jugs w/ spring water there for at least 30-40 years.

Leaving Kingsport, the pipe will be on your right about 0.2 mi. before you get to Crown Colony; it's in a rocky area next to one of the light poles.

[donsabi]

Thanks for the posts. I lived in Kingsport for a few years and never knew.

[Jim37680]

Originally Posted by kamoshika

In Kingsport on 11-W (going toward Bristol), there's still a PVC pipe that comes out of a hillside near Crown Colony. It's kind of mysterious and I have no idea where the spring itself is, but folks have been filling gallon jugs w/ spring water there for at least 30-40 years.

Leaving Kingsport, the pipe will be on your right about 0.2 mi. before you get to Crown Colony; it's in a rocky area next to one of the light poles.

I drove by the US-11W spring location the day before your post to see if there was still any sign of this spring. I can recall many folks, including truckers, stopping on the side there to collect water back in the 60's and early 70s. In the 70's it was becoming a hazard at times and TDOT was threatening to seal the spring and perhaps they tried to destroy it. Nothing of the spring was obvious when I drove past (not stopping) but on Google "Street View" you can see evidence of the water coming from the cliff and standing water in the ditch to the right:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.5682...2!8i6656?hl=en

There are some other springs I am aware of on the outskirts of Tri-Cities.

Just east of Damascus, Virginia on US 58 (before VA 91 splits off south) is a public spring still in use. I saw a man filling a dozen or so gallon jugs there last Sunday. This is just across the road from the Virginia Creeper Trail and next to the steps of the Appalachian Trail leading up the mountain:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.6285...2!8i6656?hl=en

Way out in the boon-docks of Greene County somewhere south of Baileyton is the Roaring Spring located on both sides of Roaring Spring Road. It looks like a cave entrance which has been dammed with a concrete flume which probably fed a grist mill (now gone). There are concrete works adjacent to the pavement on both sides of the road. The flow from this spring is considerable and probably drains a large cavern network under the valley back of this bluff. Here is the street view and map location:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.2936...8!8i1664?hl=en


A couple of miles south of Rogersville and just a few hundred feet from the Amis Mill Eatery ( Amis Mill Eatery ) is "The Ebbing And Flowing Spring" which various guides advise is privately owned but is open to public use. It is right on the side of a more or less one lane public road above the old Amis Mill dam. One guide reference here: A truly rare spring , it ebbs and flows like an ocean, every three hours - OffBeat TennesseeOffBeat Tennessee

[kamoshika]

Originally Posted by Jim37680

I drove by the US-11W spring location the day before your post to see if there was still any sign of this spring. I can recall many folks, including truckers, stopping on the side there to collect water back in the 60's and early 70s. In the 70's it was becoming a hazard at times and TDOT was threatening to seal the spring and perhaps they tried to destroy it. Nothing of the spring was obvious when I drove past (not stopping) but on Google "Street View" you can see evidence of the water coming from the cliff and standing water in the ditch to the right:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.5682...2!8i6656?hl=en

You can barely make out the small PVC pipe in Google Street View but it's still in use. I saw someone filling up several large containers just last week.