Don't Seal Dickinson's Spring or Pass the Buck- Repair it, Please!

Dickinson's Spring is not actually a spring, but an artesian well (a well drilled deep into an aquifer) that is located between Buffalo, MN, and Rockford, MN, on the south side of Highway 55. Due to the nature of an artesian aquifer, the well flows freely without the need for a pump. According to findaspring.com, "In 1914 a farmer dug a well here, but it went dry during the drought of the 1930s. In 1938, a road crew nicked a pipe from the well. It started flowing again and has ever since. The bubbling spout of water was named after the local ghost town of Dickinson." For additional information about the spring's history, please view this article: https://www.srperspective.com/2015/11/wayside-well-keeps-on-flowing/

Dickinson's Spring has been flowing continuously, year-round for as many years as most local residents can remember. However, in late December 2017 or January 2018, Dickinson's Spring stopped flowing. There was much speculation as to whether the spring would start flowing again when warmer temperatures arrived. Conversations on social media platforms included people sharing their uses for the water, commenting on the water quality, and questioning when it would start flowing again because they wanted to visit the site.

This is where I came in, and I promise, I will get to the reason for a petition if you bear with me. I decided to try get some answers from the people in charge of Dickinson's Spring. I contacted the City of Rockford due to their proximity to the site. They suggested I try contacting the township it sits in, which I also did. From here it was suggested I try contacting Wright County. No one seemed to know who was in charge of the location. Wright County suggested I call the MN Department of Health (from here forward referred to as MNDOH).

At the MNDOH, I spoke with Eric Freihammer, who tests the water quality at Dickinson's Spring. He indicated that the water can be heard rushing at Dickinson's Spring and is just not surfacing. This leads a person to believe that the pipe has burst or failed somewhere reasonably near the ground's surface. Eric informed me that the MN Department of Transportation (MNDOT) owns the land/site of Dickinson's Spring.

I contacted the MNDOT and was directed to Domingo Aguilar due to the geographical location of the site. After exchanging missed voicemails, we spoke on 4/24/18. After openly explaining to him the phone calls I've made and that I am simply seeking to determine whether there is a plan in place to repair Dickinson's Spring so the public can again access the water, Domingo explained he had been unaware that the site required repair. They had thought the spring may start flowing again with the spring thaw and now that the issue was brought to his attention MNDOT would look into it. I had mentioned that there was discussion on social media regarding the site and attempted to explain that there were people in the public who would like to see it repaired. I had inquired if a repair could occur during the construction on the stretch of highway 55 between Rockford and Buffalo, but Domingo stated that is not possible. Road repairs are planned out far in advance. Domingo asked me for the contact info I had for the party I spoke to at MNDOH and he also mentioned in passing (perhaps not directly to me, but possibly to the other party he had at his end of the conversation), that perhaps they could just transfer it [the spring] to the township. The conversation closed with Domingo explaining that there was no plan yet as they needed to assess the situation.

I spoke again with Eric from MNDOH on 2/24/18. I requested his permission to share his contact info with Domingo and inquired why he might need it. Eric informed me that MNDOT would be responsible to do something with Dickinson's Spring because they cannot leave it as is- abandoned wells are not permissible. The spring would need to be repaired or sealed (closed off).

Hence, this petition. I wanted to increase public awareness about the facts regarding this artesian well which provides good quality drinking water. I wanted to dispel myths that there are already plans in place to repair the well this spring. I want to show MNDOT that Dickinson's Spring is a site which has cultural and historical relevance. It provides an area for a brief rest and a refreshing source of water for many individuals and families who appreciate its faithful flowing.

To be completely clear: MNDOT has not indicated they aren't going to repair Dickinson's Spring.... they simply don't have a plan in place yet. 

If you think Dickinson's Spring should be repaired and maintained, please sign this petition. 

Update #3vor 5 Jahren
I inquired again with MNDOT and received the following update today, "Good morning, As of today, I’m unaware on what the plan is for this at this moment. I do know that our District Engineer is taking a look at it and is deciding whether he should put any money into it or not. I will try to get an update from him for you. Have a good day." It may come down to whether or not the site is seen as valued enough to spend money on. Please continue to share this petition!
Update #2vor 5 Jahren
After yet another email inquiring if there were any plans or timeline regarding the site repairs needed, I received this reply: "At this moment, I cannot give you a timeline on when or if it it’ll be repaired. The last communication we’ve had amongst the department is that we would have a contractor open up the spring and he would advise us on which direction we should go with it. We have not heard anything yet… sorry for not giving you much more than this at this time.-Domingo Aguilar"
Update #1vor 5 Jahren
MNDOT hasn't responded to my requests for updates, but they replied to Senator Bruce Anderson's office saying: At this time, MnDOT has not made a decision regarding the future of Dickinson’s Well. The well is currently defective and has to be sealed or repaired. MnDOT is evaluating the situation in the interest of safe-guarding the public and must decide if the well should be abandoned or reconstructed to meet current code requirements. We will keep you posted on any developments on this issue.
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