Karst in the Ozarks

Ozark underground mysteries are explained in “Karst in the Ozarks,” which targets middle school science students, showing how groundwater in Ozark caves and springs is vulnerable to pollution.

Enjoy dramatic footage of some of south central Missouri’s best-known natural features, including Grand Gulf, Big Spring, Greer Spring, Mammoth Spring, Tumbling Creek Cave, and the Jacks Fork River, plus footage of caves, rare cave creatures, bluffs, and sinkholes.

This video was produced in 2010 by Denise Henderson Vaughn, Somewhereinthewoods Productions, and the Ozarks Resource Center. EPA Region 7 through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources provided partial funding under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.

Production Credits

Below are the full credits for “Karst in the Ozarks,” as seen on screen at the video’s end,
including references to written source material.

This video was produced under the auspices of
the Ozarks Resource Center, West Plains, Missouri

(dnr logo)

Environmental Protections Agency Region 7
through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
has provided partial funding for this project
under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.
MoDNR Subgrant G09-NPS-05

– Additional contributions by –
Rosemary Wakeham
Denise Henderson Vaughn
Somewhereinthewoods Productions
Bryant Watershed Project

– Producer and Scriptwriter –
Denise Henderson Vaughn

– Videography and Editing –
Neil Rosenbaum

– Animation –
Jeff Thruston
Mark Giles

– Graphics and Narration –
DeAnna Rosenbaum

– Production Assistants –
Kevin Kaiser
Vernon Gross
Nannette Daugherty

– On Camera Appearances –
Toney Aid, historian, West Plains
Tom Aley, Ozark Underground Lab
Bill O’Donnell, Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Chris Gilliam, Howell County Health Department

– Additional Video –
Bob Koch, Ozark Cave Diving Alliance

– Photo Contributions –
Lucy Carmichael
William R. Elliott, Missouri Department of Conservation
Vernon Gross
Allen Hedden
Alan Peters
Jim Rathert, Missouri Department of Conservation
Jim Vandike, Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR)
West Plains Daily Quill

– Credit Music –
“Clear, Cold, But Not Pure”
Tom Aley

– Map Sources –
John Cutler, Ozark Regional Land Trust
Justin Frazier, Howell County Health Department
Missouri Department of Natural Resources

– Additional Thanks to –
Frank L. Martin III, West Plains Daily Quill
Kip Woods, Missouri Department of Conservation
Matthew Kantola, Grand Gulf State Park

– Content Review –
Jim Vandike, Groundwater Section Chief, MoDNR
Tom Aley, Ozark Underground Lab
Mary Ann Mutrux, science teacher, Willow Springs Middle School
Valerie Hentges, MoDNR Water Protection Program
Trish Rielly, MoDNR Water Protection Program

– Website Services –
Bryant Watershed Project
www.watersheds.org
Michael McClure, Webmaster
Lois Reborne, Director

– Accompanying Curriculum –
Mary Ann Mutrux

– Published Reference Material –

E.B. Branson, “Geology of Missouri,” 1944

William R. Elliott,
“Biospeleology: The Biology of Caves, Karst, and Groundwater,”
University of Texas website, 2009

Don E. Miller and Jim Vandike,
“Groundwater Resources of Missouri,” 1998

Luella Owen, “Cave Regions of the Ozarks and Black Hills,” 1898

The Nature Conservancy,
“Living on Karst, a Reference Guide for Ozark Landowners,” 2003

Jerry Vineyard, “Springs of Missouri,” 1982

West Plains Daily Quill:
“Find Dora Sink Hole Pollutes Aid-Hodgson Mill Spring Water,”
November 9, 1971
“Groundwater Series Reprinted by Request,” 1998
“Cave owners initiate land rehab effort that might save endangered cavesnails,” April 18, 2002

West Plains Gazette,
“Grand Gulf, Subterranean Wonder,” September-October 1981