If you’ve ever turned on the tap in Lewistown and thought, “This water just tastes different,” you’re not imagining it. Welcome to one of Central Montana’s best-kept natural treasures: Big Spring Creek and the legendary water it delivers straight to your glass.

The Source: One of the World’s Largest Artesian Springs

Tucked in the foothills of the Big Snowy Mountains about seven to nine miles southeast of Lewistown, Big Spring is a massive artesian spring that gushes between 50,000 and 64,000 gallons of crystal-clear, 52°F water per minute...year-round. That’s enough to supply the entire city with almost no treatment needed.

The water originates deep in the Madison Limestone Aquifer, traveling through layers of limestone that naturally filter and mineralize it before it bubbles to the surface. This constant temperature and reliable flow make it special, it doesn’t fluctuate wildly with seasons or droughts like surface water does.

From the spring, Big Spring Creek winds its way through town before joining the Judith River, feeding everything from trout habitat to city taps along the way.

Why Lewistown Water Tastes So Good

Locals have known this for decades. In the Prairie Populist, longtime Fergus County resident Clayton Dunlap (a former coach and current chair of the Big Spring Creek Watershed Group) shared how he used to haul jugs of Lewistown water back to other towns when he played basketball. Other towns’ water? Often alkaline and “funny-tasting.” Lewistown’s? Worth the trip.

Big Spring Water Company (bottling since 1966) puts it best: “You can taste the difference!” Their water comes from the same source, 1,200 feet beneath the Big Snowies, and carries a natural mineral profile that gives it that clean, crisp, refreshing taste:

• Calcium: 67 mg/L
• Magnesium: 19 mg/L
• Bicarbonates: 205 mg/L
• pH: 8.0 (naturally balanced)
• Total Dissolved Solids: 297 mg/L

No reverse osmosis stripping, no heavy chemical treatment....just pristine, mineral-infused spring water.

What the Data Says

According to the latest Environmental Working Group report and the City of Lewistown’s Annual Drinking Water Quality Report:

• Fully compliant with all federal and state standards
• No contaminants above health guidelines
• Only trace, safe levels of naturally occurring minerals and nitrates

In short, Lewistown is fortunate to have some of the cleanest municipal tap water in the state (and the country).

More Than Just Drinking Water

Big Spring Creek isn’t only for taps. It’s a community lifeline:

• World-class year-round trout fishing (rainbow, brown, and brook) right in and around town
• Popular floating, swimming, and tubing spots in summer
• Irrigation for local farms and ranches
• Home to the Big Springs Trout Hatchery, which stocks waters across Montana

It’s a point of pride that runs deep in Lewistown. As one local put it, “Without clean water, you can’t make good beer”, which is why Big Spring Brewing chose this spot too.

Protecting the Treasure

Lewistown residents have fought hard to keep it this way, cleaning up past contamination at the hatchery, monitoring the aquifer, and staying vigilant about development in the Big Snowies. The watershed groups and locals treat this resource like family.

Try It Yourself

Next time you’re in Lewistown, fill up a jug at a public tap or grab a bottle of Big Spring Water. Compare it side-by-side with water from another town, you’ll notice the difference immediately.

Many locals swear by it. Some even say it’s one of the main reasons they could never leave.

What about you?

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