Wisconsin's natural springs (and how to find 'em)

Good mornin' to everyone puttin' leftover brats in their eggs. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

Today's thirst-quenching email:

• Natural springs 💧 

• Watch for falling trees 🌲 

• Learn-to-hunt stats 🦌 

How to find natural springs in Wisconsin

We were ~150 miles into our cross-Wisconsin bike ride, and Kevin and mine's buttocks had had just about enough. Talk about tenderized pork chops.

It was hot. Kevin smelled. I smelled worse. And cripes, were we thirsty!

The luke-warm water sloshing around in our water bottles had less appeal than a Budweiser, and we still had 20 miles to go before we could quit for the day.

And that's when we saw it.

Off to the right, a couple of 'Scons were loading their car up with big, blue jugs. As we came nearer, we saw that they were actually filling them up from a little stream, bubbling up out of the earth.

The Baraboo River Rock Springs! As if we'd never tasted water before, we slurped down the crystalline spring water till our bellies bulged, our vigor renewed, our pit stench abated...

Wisconsin natural springs:

• Defined as the point where groundwater reaches the surface

• More than 400 springs have been surveyed in Wisconsin

• 'Scons collect and drink from these "sacred waters" for health and taste

Historically hydrated

Wisconsin's natural springs have been worshipped throughout history (almost as much as our cheese).

Native Americans established trails nearby to springs, and archaeological evidence shows that camps and settlements were indeed in the vicinity of these sacred waters.

When the Europeans came to Wisconsin in the Nineteenth century, they also chose to settle near springs for their use in farming and "health resorts," which brought in tourists from across the nation.

From 1868 - 1918, Waukesha, WI was considered the capital of the mineral spring water industry, and the influx in tourists and bottling plants soon propped up the city's name, making it a destination for the rich and famous.

The city - nicknamed the "Saratoga of the West" - had spring water so coveted that a man from Kansas City even attempted to lay a pipeline from Waukesha to Chicago to sell the water at the Columbia Exposition.

After the governor and legislature got involved (not to mention a midnight scuffle between laborers and townspeople), the Great Pipeline Battle was won by the people of Waukesha.

What makes them natural?

Natural springs are defined as the point in which groundwater first reaches the surface, reinforcing the idea of "one water".

This is why they're considered so "pure"; they're unmarred by the hands of humans. No tubes. No pipes. No garden hoses.

Since a trickle of water bubbling up through the sand can be defined as a natural spring, they're still being discovered, but to date more than 400 have been surveyed in Wisconsin.

Although they're still used for drinking, spring water has become a vital resource for our streams and wetlands.

They often harbor endangered or threatened species, and provide cool, oxygen-rich water that trout need for survival. It's why Wisconsin has such a long-standing prominence in trout fishing. Mmm. Fire up the smoker!

H2-Oh baby this is good

With so many contaminations to our food/water sources "they found WHAT in his chili???", you can't blame folks for wanting water right from the source.

So let's get to it - here's how to find a spring near you and bottle it up for your enjoyment:

Disclaimer: Not everyone agrees spring water is safe. It can, in theory, become contaminated by fluoride or other toxic elements found deep in the earth, or by chemicals when breeching the surface.

1. Find a spring near you: You need not bike across the state as Kevin and I did (though we highly recommend). Chances are there is one in driving distance of you. For MKE-ers, check out Hygeia Spring, Parry Spring, or Pryor Avenue Iron Well.

2. Bring a storage container of sorts (and not an old cottage cheese container): We recommend glass instead of plastic for health/environmental reasons, but BPA-free plastic jugs are considered safe.

3. Drink and store it: Use the refrigerator or some other cool, dark place. You don't want any algae spoiling your plunder!

We still visit a natural spring religiously every month, and their waters have fast become a fav beverage of ours (after Moon Man, of course).

So grab your jugs and get out 'der!

The "Holy cripes" Moment of the Week❗️

Animals GONE WILD: Bobcats, wolves, bears, fishers, deer, owls, turkeys, weasels, songbirds, porcupines and more on a trail cam in NW Wisconsin, ya gotta see it!

Nuts 'n' Seeds 🌰 

🌲 Watch out for that tree!: Though normally thought of as giving life to our planet in the form of breathable oxygen, trees can unfortunately be deadly as well, as one sadly killed a pair of campers after falling on them. Watch where you put your tent and be safe out 'der!

🦌 Ethical-iest Hunter awarded: Mark Moersch of Stevens Point received the 2021 DNR Ethical Hunter award after helping another hunter track a wounded deer and report an illegal bait. Whoop whoop! Conservation at its finest!

🙌 800 learn to hunt: The DNR instructed 800 novice hunters in the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022 on safe, ethical hunting practices with the help of 323 volunteers. Let's hope they all turn out like aforementioned Mark, eh?

See you next week!

A Review from the Trail...

Well, how'd we do this week?

• 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 Better than a finely-aged cheese

• 🧀🧀🧀 Still better than Illinois, but could be better

• 🧀 Boo. This made me lactose intolerant