24 GEOLOGY OF SW. IDAHO AND SE. OREGON. [bull. 217. 
through fissures. These springs range in temperature from a few 
degrees above the mean annual surface temperature up to the boiling 
point of water for the elevation at which they occur, and vary in 
volume from a mere seepage to several cubic feet per second. Good 
examples are furnished in Idaho by the hot springs about 4£ miles 
east of Boise, the hot spring about 7 miles east of Mountain Home, 
the warm spring 1 mile west of Walters Butte, the copious hot spring 
at Enterprise, and the several springs of warm water near Sands. In 
Oregon hot springs occur at Vale, where one has a temperature of 
198-J- F., so far as known the hottest in the region; in Warm Spring 
Valley between Vale and Westfall; at Beulah; from 1 to 3 miles 
southwest of Burns; near Silver Lake; on the southeast border of 
Harney Lake; a few miles northeast of Malheur Lake; in Alvord 
Valley on the west border of Alvord Desert ; near Andrews ; and in 
Whitehorse Valley. Such data as are available concerning these 
numerous fountains of heated waters are presented in the Preliminary 
Report on Artesian Conditions/' already referred to. 
The chief interest in reference to these warm and hot springs 
aside from their direct utilization for irrigation, baths, cooking, 
warming houses, etc., is the bearing they have on the question of 
obtaining artesian water. Every fissure spring is essentially a natural 
artesian well, but in most instances the conduits through which the 
water rises are obstructed and much lateral flow or leakage presum- 
ably results. The question as to the best way of improving such 
springs and of increasing their flow presents itself to everyone who 
examines them. In a few instances efforts have been made in this 
direction which are highly promising. Wells drilled in the vicinity 
of the hot springs near Boise have been conspicuously successful, and 
the capital of Idaho now has an excellent supply of both hot water — 
temperature from 125° F. to near boiling point — and of water with a 
temperature of from 60° to 70° F. derived from artesian wells. Other 
successful artesian wells have been drilled in the vicinity of hot 
springs in Bruneau and Little valleys, Idaho, and again at Vale, 
Malheur County, Oreg. The well at Vale is, however, not utilized 
except for bathing, on account of the large amount of mineral matter 
in solution, much of which is deposited in the casing of the drill hole 
and leads to its obstruction. 
The water of this artesian well, or, perhaps more accurately, devel- 
oped hot spring, should be analyzed in order to learn its medical or 
other properties, and experiments made with reference to preventing 
the precipitation of mineral matter. The precipitation is apparently 
due to the cooling of the water as it rises, and by insulating the cas- 
ing this could no doubt be decreased and perhaps prevented. Then, 
too, if the waters prove of value, tools for cleaning the well could 
easily be provided and the obstructions formed within it removed as 
frequently as necessary. 
" Water-Sup. and Irr. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 78, 1903. 
