hussell.] SPRINGS. 27 
Canyon, near the town of Hagerraan, between Salmon Falls and the 
point where Salmon River enters from the south. Views of a portion 
of the springs, which leap from the canyon wall at this locality and 
descend as white sheets of foam and spray over the verdure-covered 
precipices below, are shown on PL III. The more general of the two 
views (PL III, B) was taken before attempts had been made to utilize 
the springs, and indicates the natural conditions; PL III, A, is from a 
photograph taken in August, 1901, and shows a portion of the springs 
where their waters had been concentrated by a flume. In recent 
years tunnels and flumes have been constructed, which concentrate the 
waters and make their volume appear even greater than is suggested 
by the first of the views here presented. Most of the water descends 
over the face of a vertical wall of clay and lapilli from the cut edge of 
a layer of cellular scoriaceous basalt, which has an elevation of about 
185 feet above the base of the precipice. The water does not make 
the descent in a single leap, but makes cascades of remarkable beauty 
and novelty and is churned into foam by its contact with the rocks. 
The volume of water has never been accurately measured, but within 
a space about half a mile in length at The Thousand Springs proper is 
estimated by Mr. A. Ferguson, a hydraulic engineer familiar with the 
locality, at 20,000 miner's inches (or approximately 500 cubic feet) per 
second. 
West of The Thousand Springs the water-bearing layers which 
furnish water at this place are inclined and pass below the level of the 
river, but another similar but higher layer appears which continues 
to Bliss, a distance of about 18 miles. Throughout the length of its 
outcrop in the canyon wall copious springs are abundant. At many 
other localities between The Thousand Springs and Shoshone Falls 
there are water-bearing layers in the canyon wall and large springs 
pour out. The greatest of these fountains are situated at the heads of 
lateral alcoves or small side canyons opening into Snake River Canyon, 
such as Little and Box canyons, on the north side of the river just 
above the mouth of Salmon River, and Blue Lakes alcove, about 6 miles 
below Shoshone Falls. As will be explained later, the remarkable side 
alcoves, or short " blind" canyons opening into the main canyon, owe 
their existence to the great springs feeding the streams which flow 
from them. Another similar " spring alcove," but at first view not so 
clearly the result of springs undermining the cliffs, is furnished by the 
lower portion of the canyon of Malade River. 
The water of the springs between Shoshone Falls and Bliss has an 
essentially uniform temperature of about 60° F. throughout the year. 
The water is clear, but of a bluish color, due to fine particles in suspen- 
sion. Several of these spring-fed streams are inhabited by trout. It 
is indeed a surprise to find beautiful trout streams in the central part 
of a flat, arid plain. 
