BIG MINE RUN - Fed by heavy rain, Schuylkill County's mine-fed geyser is soaring nine feet high and could go higher.

The spectacular, high-pressure fountain erupts and soars to great heights every spring, sometimes 12 feet or more.On Wednesday, the geyser appeared to be building momentum as rain continued to pelt the region.Located 20 miles east of Tamaqua in the village of Big Mine Run, the geyser is largely the result of mine water drainage from the former Bast Colliery mine workings, abandoned since 1934.During the late winter and early spring, the spectacle is visible along Oakland Avenue in Big Mine Run. When it gets high enough, it's visible to passers-by along Route 54 near Ashland."Unless the weather has been very dry, it's like Old Faithful," said local resident John Usalis."If it starts very early in spring when the nights are below freezing, it's beautiful with the trees covered in ice from the spray."The Butler Township geyser is fed from a combination of mine water drainage, surface water runoff, melting snow and heavy rains.An underground pipe, part of a network of drainage pipes, carries large volumes of water from Bast Colliery. Years ago, the pipe broke apart or developed a hole in the top, causing the geyser.Excessive rains can make it roar, say locals, with water shooting upward with great force.At times, acid mine drainage results in iron hydroxide, causing discoloration of the water and turning the geyser to yellow-orange.Interestingly, the geyser isn't the only place at Big Mine Run where water boils to the surface. Additional mine water drainage forces itself above ground at locations all around the geyser, including just steps away where orange water bubbles up from swamplike terrain similar to an artesian well.All of the water flows into nearby Mahanoy Creek.According to state mining records, Bast Colliery was opened by partners Gideon Bast and David Pierson in 1853 as the Big Mine Run East Colliery, situated east of the Big Mine Run Creek.In 1858, Bast's son, Emmanual, purchased the workings, also called Union Colliery.The colliery is credited with producing more than 9.5 million tons of anthracite coal.