Soda Springs is famous for its geyser as well as the several mineral springs in the area. Perhaps only Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park comes close to matching the regularity of the Soda Springs Geyser. Old Faithful blows into the air every 44 to 125 minutes. The Soda Springs geyser erupts every hour on the hour, but it gets a little help from a mechanical valve with a timer.
In 1937 local businessmen had in mind using the geothermal water that bubbled up in Pyramid Spring as the featured draw for a commercial bathhouse. They figured they could drill down to the source and pipe the water to the attraction they planned to build.
On November 28, they might have yelled “Eureka!” That was the day they hit the pressurized hot water at 315 feet. Once they removed the bit the water shot 70 feet into the air. But the water began to cool after a few days, and they discovered it had a high mineral content that made it impractical for commercial development. They capped the hole.
The National Park Service took notice, and the secretary of the interior cautioned the people of Soda Springs that they should turn off their geyser for good because "...it is throwing the world famous 'Old Faithful Geyser' off schedule."
That there was some direct connection between the Soda Springs geyser and Old Faithful, 134 miles to the northeast, was pure fantasy. But the town leaders saw the value of having a captured geyser, so they installed a valve and timer on the old drill hole. You can see the geyser today blow 70 feet into the air, and hear it roar “like a mad dragon,” as one of the developers described the geyser in 1937.
In 1937 local businessmen had in mind using the geothermal water that bubbled up in Pyramid Spring as the featured draw for a commercial bathhouse. They figured they could drill down to the source and pipe the water to the attraction they planned to build.
On November 28, they might have yelled “Eureka!” That was the day they hit the pressurized hot water at 315 feet. Once they removed the bit the water shot 70 feet into the air. But the water began to cool after a few days, and they discovered it had a high mineral content that made it impractical for commercial development. They capped the hole.
The National Park Service took notice, and the secretary of the interior cautioned the people of Soda Springs that they should turn off their geyser for good because "...it is throwing the world famous 'Old Faithful Geyser' off schedule."
That there was some direct connection between the Soda Springs geyser and Old Faithful, 134 miles to the northeast, was pure fantasy. But the town leaders saw the value of having a captured geyser, so they installed a valve and timer on the old drill hole. You can see the geyser today blow 70 feet into the air, and hear it roar “like a mad dragon,” as one of the developers described the geyser in 1937.
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