Niebieskie Źródła Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland
Niebieskie Źródła is a nature reserve on the right bank of the Pilica River that contains several karst springs feeding blue-tinted water basins. The reserve covers roughly 28 hectares and sits in a wooded section of the river valley.
The reserve gained official status in 1961 through a decree from the Polish Ministry of Forestry and Timber Industry. This decision followed decades of efforts to protect the karst springs from human interference.
The name of the reserve comes from the blue pools formed by the springs. Hikers today can walk along the trails and watch the clear water flow over the sandy bottom.
The water temperature at the springs stays constant around 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit), while it ranges between 6 and 11 degrees Celsius (43 to 52 degrees Fahrenheit) in the surrounding basins. Visitors should wear waterproof footwear because paths near the springs can be wet and slippery.
The springs create an optical effect where red light gets absorbed while blue and green rays reflect from the sandy bottom. This gives the water its distinctive turquoise appearance that shifts depending on sunlight and the depth of each basin.
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