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This page last updated on 05/282019
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Description: The last main point of interest on the southeastern end of the Bitter Spring Backcountry Byway Road is Bitter Spring itself. The spring is located on the northeast edge of Bitter Spring Valley at the beginning of Echo Wash. A little less than a quarter-mile long, this stretch of running water is along the north side of the wash road. Its water seeps out of the ground among thick stands of feathery tamarisk, before disappearing again in the sandy creek bed.
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| (Fig. 02) |
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| 05/23/2019 Trip Notes: On this trip to the Bitter Spring included Jim Herring, Bob Croak, Ron Ziance, Bud Stegmeier, Howard Saxon and myself. Even though our goal was to drive across the Bitter Spring Backcountry Byway Road to Buffington Pocket, we only got to explore the Bitter Spring once again. Click here for a description and pictures from this visit ... Bittersprings Road - LMNRA |
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09/12/2015 Trip Notes: The water from the spring flow in a eastern direction. At the northeast end of the wash the springs water disappears down into the wash-like road. Upon this visit I noticed that the four posts (Fig. 12) used to prevent vehicle entry up the wash were now gone; as well as the sign indicating that it had been done to help restore the natural plant life growing around the spring. Even though the water flow seem to be a little less than the last time I was here, I am always still surprised to see that this much water still runs year round, even after years of drought (Fig. 02). Not only were there thousands of animal tracks in the water saturated sandy area, we even came upon a wild horse feeding on the grasses along the edge of the spring (Fig. 03). As we walked up the flow of the spring toward its source, this lush area becomes more and more surrounded by tamarisk trees (Fig. 03 thru 05).
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| (Fig. 03) |
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10/22/2013 Trip Notes: Though we noticed where the water from Bitter Spring exited and disappeared into the Bitter Spring Backcountry Byway Road, we continued going down the Echo Wash until we reached the North Shore Road bridge that crosses the wash (Fig. 07). As a result, the majority of these pictures (Figs. 01, 08, 09 & 10) were taken on our return trip up Echo Wash. At the point were the spring disappears down into the road, vehicle travel through the area of the wash is blocked by four posts and a sign indicating that this has been done to help restore the natural plant life growing around the spring. These are seen in the last two pictures (Figs. 11 & 12) as I walked back down to the spot where we parked. Not only were we amazed by how green this area was, but by how fast the water was running down the wash. To still have this much water running at this time of year, after a long dry summer, this spring must come from a very large underground aquifer being fed by all of the surrounding mountain ranges.
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| (Fig. 07) |
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| (Fig. 08) |
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| (Fig. 09) |
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| (Fig. 10) |
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| (Fig. 11) |
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| (Fig. 12) |
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