Beauties of Estonia (11/12). Springs

A spring is a place where groundwater flows naturally onto the land surface or into a body of surface water. If the groundwater is confined, an ascension spring is formed, whereas a gravity spring flows downhill. Presently almost 3.000 springs have been registered in Estonia, but about a century ago their number may have reached about 4.500. By discharge, the biggest in Estonia is the Jõelähtme ascension spring (about 1.100 l/s) at Jõelähtme River near Jõelähtme church in Harju County. Most Estonia's largest springs occur on the slopes of the Pandivere Upland.