Go with the Flow

Go with the Flow

Unlocking the secrets of Iowa’s artesian wells

By Darcy Dougherty Maulsby

The future of any farm or community is tied to adequate supplies of fresh water. Iowa’s amazing artesian wells offer a fascinating glimpse into groundwater’s vital role in our state.

Maybe you’ve heard advertisements from water companies selling “artesian-well drinking water.” Is this water unique?

“Artesian water is really not different from other groundwater, except it flows to the land surface because pressure in the rocks underground forces it to the surface,” notes the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Iowa’s early settlers valued these naturally flowing artesian wells, which supplied drinking water for people and livestock. “Artesian wells were highly sought after because they were more reliable than surface wells,” says Abbey Conrad, a naturalist and park ranger with the Calhoun County Conservation Board.

An artesian well installed in the 1800s near the historic Rainbow Bridge southwest of Lake City continues to flow near the Racoon River. “Years ago, it was thought that having an artesian well on or close to your property would increase the land’s value when it came time to sell,” Conrad says.

Understanding Iowa’s Liquid Assets

Artesian wells offer a remarkable glimpse of the vast, largely unseen world of groundwater beneath our feet. Most Iowans (80%) depend on groundwater for their household water supply, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

When Belle Plaine drilled a new well on Aug. 26, 1886, thousands of gallons per minute started shooting out of the well, which earned the name “Jumbo.” Not until Oct. 6, 1887, were crews able to cap Jumbo.

Photo credit: Darcy Dougherty Maulsby.

Artesian wells occur where a porous layer of rock filled with water lies between impermeable rock layers. The impermeable layers surrounding the porous layer prevent the water from reaching the water table (the boundary between water-saturated ground and dry ground).

When a hole is drilled to tap into this water source, water in the porous level rises in the well to reach the water table. The higher the water table, the greater the water pressure. According to the USGS, this pressure powers artesian wells, which are named after Artois in France (the old Roman city of Artesium), where the best-known flowing artesian wells were drilled in the Middle Ages.

“Jumbo” Made Belle Plaine World Famous

A massive artesian well in Belle Plaine, Iowa, became known as the “eighth wonder of the world” for a time in the 1800s. Belle Plaine was already known for having many artesian wells, which farmers used to water their livestock, says Mitch Malcolm, a historian from Belle Plaine. By the late 1880s, Belle Plaine drilled new wells to provide additional water supplies for residents of the growing town.

Belle Plaine contracted with William Weir & Sons of Monticello to drill a well in the south part of town to provide water and fire protection for a nearby school. The contract called for a 3-inch well, but Weir only had 2-inch drilling equipment as he drilled a 195-foot well. Unfortunately, the water started gushing out on Aug. 26, 1886, and Weir did not have the equipment to stop it.

“No one knew what kind of force the well would produce and how hard it would be to stop the flow,” Malcolm says. “It seems the system is contained by a layer of clay, not rock, so it can be hard to cap once it is ‘popped.’”

Belle Plaine’s “Jumbo” well became untamable in the late summer and early fall of 1886. Along with water, it hurled up sand, petrified wood and stones. Boys gathered up bits of the debris, which they sold to curious onlookers.

Photo credit: Belle Plaine Area Museum.

An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 gallons per minute burst out of “Jumbo,” which flooded the southern portion of Belle Plaine. Weir tried several times to control the flow, but Jumbo was completely out of control. Weir skipped town that Friday night, Aug. 27, 1886, never to return.

The well also hurled up tons of sand, along with petrified wood and stones. Local boys gathered up bits of the debris, which they sold to curious onlookers.

On Aug. 29, 1886, Belle Plaine’s Palmer Brothers Foundry tried to control the flow by pile driving 110 feet of boiler flues plus a 16-foot-tall smokestack into the well. Then came one last tap of the pile driver – and disaster. Onlookers gasped as Jumbo devoured the flues, smokestack and all.

“Belle Plaine hired another company to stop the well, and they made a sideshow of the event, putting up fencing around Jumbo and charging people to see it,” Malcolm says. “They even donned a deep-sea diving suit to go inside the well.”

Not until Oct. 6, 1887, were crews from Palmer Brothers Foundry able to cap the well. While Jumbo was tamed decades ago, its legacy lives on through artifacts and photos at the Belle Plaine Area Museum, along with a historical marker and mural downtown.

There are still several artesian wells around Belle Plaine, including one at Hole No. 5 at the Belle Plaine Country Club’s golf course. “There’s a hand pump there, and the water is nice and cold,” Malcolm says. “On a hot day, you really look forward to reaching the well.”

A plaque commemorates the Jumbo Well.

Photo credit: Brian Abeling, Abeling Photo.

Indispensable to Healthy and Decent Living

Iowa has a variety of artesian wells, from towns near the Mississippi River to parts of western Iowa. While some of these wells have been capped, others are tourist attractions.

An artesian well delights visitors at Spring Park near Osage. The first cylinder tube was installed in this well in 1890, notes the Osage Chamber of Commerce. “The park’s spring has maintained a constant flow to this day,” adds the City of Osage’s website. “The water is tested frequently and tastes great at a temperature of 52 degrees.”

Like any water supply, the quality of artesian well water makes it valuable. “Pure water is not a luxury but a necessity,” notes a publication called “Artesian Wells of Iowa” published in the early 1900s. “It is indispensable to healthy and decent living.”