Boiling
Spring Lakes,
more affectionately known to locals as "BSL,"
derives its name from a natural boiling spring that
pumps out an astonishing 43 million gallons of water
each day. In addition to the "Big Lake,"
a 150 acre lake with 10 miles of shoreline, the city
also boasts an array of 50 other natural and man-made
lakes. Boiling Spring Lakes was originally developed
in 1961 by Reeves Telecom and encompasses over 14,000
acres of land. Boiling Spring Lakes features wooded
Homesites, waterfront Homesites and golf course Homesites
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History
Boiling Spring Lakes derives its name from the boiling
spring that flows with an incredibly pure stream of
water. The city's centerpiece, the 150-acre "Big
Lake", is just one of more than 50 natural and
man-made lakes in the city. The "Big Lake"
is fed by five springs and Allen's Creek, and is 2-1/2
miles long with 10 miles of shoreline.
In 1961, the developers of Boiling Spring Lakes happened
upon a gushing spring concealed in a wooded ravine.
Wishing to beautify the area, a 4-foot high brick
wall was built to encompass this natural phenomenon.
Almost before the masons had completed their work,
the spring suddenly stopped running. Within a few
hours, it burst out in a free full flow some 15 feet
outside the wall. When the 3-foot wall enclosing the
spring was built, the weight of the water in the enclosed
area resulted in a backpressure against the spring
so it moved to an easier release point. Over time
the wall broke allowing the impounded water to flow.
With a lower water level in this area, the spring
returned to its former location, and it boils today.
Many
years ago, the spring was known as Bouncing Log Spring,
in as much as a large chunk of petrified wood was tossed
and churned in the water gushing up from the ground.
Eventually, there was no longer a log being bounced
around by the upward thrust of groundwater, and the
name was changed to the Boiling Spring. State geologists
have calculated that the spring discharges approximately
43 million gallons of water each day.
The
entire area seems enchanted with tall pines, oaks, and
sweet gums hovering over the spring. In the early spring,
damselflies of red, green, and blue dart about the area
and butterflies of all colors and descriptions flutter
in the thickets. Legend has it that long ago, Indians
would camp around the spring and hold their council
meetings at this site on their annual trek to the Atlantic
Ocean for oysters, fish, and game. They always drank
from the spring, believing whoever drank from the spring
would always return.
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