Island Spouter – Text of Narration

Now, let’s explore the Island Spouter, the park’s signature water feature. Situated about 100 yards upstream from the Creekside Classroom, the Island Spouter shoots water high into the air from a small island in the creek. Although it’s often mistaken for a geyser, the Island Spouter isn’t thermal. Instead, cold mineral water from more than 300 feet underground is pushed up by natural carbon dioxide pressure. The water jets between 10 to 15 feet into the air, creating a striking display. This water isn’t for drinking, but it has over 11,000 parts per million of dissolved solids—mostly sodium chloride. Surrounding the spouter is a natural mineral deposit called tufa, which builds up as the water flows. This tufa mound has grown to about eight feet tall over the past century.

Tufa is a sedimentary rock formed when minerals precipitate out of cold, carbonated mineral water. Around the Island Spouter, you can see fresh tufa deposits with red and orange stains, caused by the oxidation of iron in the water. If sulfur were present, the tufa would be yellow, but that’s not common in the park’s waters. The Island Spouter tufa is relatively young, less than 100 years old, and continues to grow each year as water flows over it. Narration provided by Michael Lenz and brought to you by the Saratoga Springs Lions Club.