Marble Hill artesian well -- a prized treasure

Deep beneath the earth's service lies many treasures, such as gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and more. Yet the one buried gem that humanity cannot live without, that is often forgotten and taken for granted, is water.

According to a 2014 report in the Washington Post, there is more water below the earth's surface than in all the oceans combined. And some of that water is just bursting to get out.

If you happen to be traveling Highway 34, a few hundred feet just west of the Woodland School, you will find two gurgling, gushing spigots on the south side of the highway. Often, you will observe residents coming and going with various jugs, bottles and containers. What are these treasure hunters seeking? Their prize is the sparkling natural well water that flows at about 27 gallons per minute from the Marble Hill artesian well.

"Thousands of people use the water exclusively for drinking and cooking," said M. Ossig of Marble Hill.

Ossig's cousins Carl and Earl Lutes were the owners of the property in 1946 when P.M. Barton of Catron, Missouri, first leased the land for exploratory excavation, Ossig said. At the time, leasing property for excavation was popular; oil companies and chemical corporations were seeking petroleum and minerals.

The Barton team dug below the surface approximately 1,800 feet. Instead of finding the anticipated booty of oil and minerals, out gushed the waters that have not stopped flowing since.

An artesian well's water comes from what is called an artesian aquifer below the earth's surface. An artesian aquifer is a water-filled pocket of space, usually surrounded by impermeable substances, such as rock, clay, gravel and sandstone. A regular aquifer is surrounded by permeable matter. The higher the permeability of the surrounding elements, the more freely water can flow through the aquifer. The impermeability of an artesian aquifer creates internal pressure within the confined space of an artesian aquifer well, which in turn, causes the water to rise and gush when the aquifer is punctured by drilling.

The word is that the water has been tested and is safe to drink; however, the regional Missouri Department of Natural Resources in Poplar Bluff has no record of the well. "I can't honestly say I've heard of it," Bradley Ledbetter, environmental supervior, said by phone from his Poplar Bluff office. "I am not familiar with the well or of any testing."

"Artesian wells are not guaranteed to be safe," added Jack Baker, water section chief at the Poplar Bluff Missouri Department of Natural Resources office.

Despite the risk, or perhaps lack of knowledge regarding the risks, Bollinger County residents and trekkers from beyond the county flock to the Marble Hill artesian well that is located outside the city limits. Many believe it is the best tasting water on earth, and some people believe the bubbling waters are like a Fountain of Youth.

"Maybe that's why so many people live beyond 90 years old around here," said Sheila Porter with a wink. Sheila is the historian of the Will Mayfield Foundation.

Anyone can partake of the water at no cost, thanks to the generosity of the family who now owns the property. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) built a small parking area for people to use so that they may safely park off the highway as they are filling up their containers.