Big Butte Springs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Big Butte Springs |
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 Location in Oregon
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| Location | Jackson County, Oregon, USA |
| Coordinates | 42°30′47″N 122°28′50″W / 42.51306°N 122.48056°W |
| Elevation | 2,717 feet (828.1 m) |
| Discharge | 26 million US gallons (98,000,000 L) per day |
| Temperature | 44–46 °F (6.7–7.8 °C) |
Big Butte Springs are natural springs found in Jackson County, Oregon. They are located about 30 miles (48 km) north of Medford, near the south fork of Big Butte Creek. These springs provide a huge amount of clean water every day.
The springs give enough water for the local area for seven months of the year. For the other five months, water is taken from the Rogue River and cleaned. More than 115,000 people get their water from Big Butte Springs!
What Makes Big Butte Springs Water So Good?
Big Butte Springs get their water from a large area of land called a watershed. This watershed covers about 88 square miles (230 km2). Because the water is naturally clean, it needs very little treatment to be safe for drinking.
The water from these springs is usually between 44 and 46 °F (6.7 and 7.8 °C). It has very few chemicals that could cause pollution. The water also has low turbidity, which means it's very clear and not cloudy. The amount of water flowing from the springs stays steady all year long.
A Look Back: History of Big Butte Springs Water
Before Big Butte Springs became the main water source, Medford used water from Fish Lake. This started in 1908.
However, after a dam at Fish Lake was made bigger, the land around it wasn't properly cleaned. Wood and other materials rotted, making the water undrinkable.
So, in 1923, the Medford Water Commission got special permission, called water rights, to use water from Big Butte Springs. A large pipeline, called the Medford Aqueduct, was built. It was 31-inch (79 cm) wide and finished in 1927. This pipeline brought about 40 cubic feet per second (1.1 m3/s) of drinking water to people living in the Bear Creek area. Later, in 1951, another pipeline was added to bring even more water to the community.
