Hunter's Hot Springs (Oregon)
| Hunter's Hot Springs | |
|---|---|
Old Perpetual geyser
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| Type | private park |
| Location | Lake County, Oregon, USA |
| Coordinates | 42°13′15″N 120°22′09″W / 42.22088°N 120.36907°WCoordinates: 42°13′15″N 120°22′09″W / 42.22088°N 120.36907°W |
| Area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| Created | 1925 |
| Operated by | Hunter's Hot Springs Resort |
| Status | Private commercial property |
Hunter's Hot Springs (renamed Geyser Hot Springs in 2000) are natural geothermal springs located in Lake County, Oregon, United States, 2 miles (3 km) north of Lakeview. The springs are named after Harry Hunter, who bought the springs in 1923. The best known feature within the geothermal area is Old Perpetual, which was once Oregon's only continuously erupting geyser. The geyser was formed as a result of a well drilling attempt while Hunter was developing a health resort at the springs.
The hot springs were discovered in 1832 by trappers from the Hudson's Bay Company, who noted in their journal that the water was unbearably hot. They are a small group of alkaline thermal springs in Lake County's Goose Lake Valley, 2 miles (3 km) north of Lakeview. The temperature of the various springs ranges from 185 to 210 °F (85 to 99 °C). The spring water is alkaline with a high concentration of sulfate and other minerals. This environment supports large bacterial mats in the natural channels that drain the springs. As a result, the bacterial mat communities at the hot springs have been studied and analyzed by microbiologists from around the world.
The most striking feature at Hunter's Hot Springs is Old Perpetual. It once released a plume of 200 °F (93 °C) water 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 m) into the air every 90 seconds. Because of its former regular and rapid eruption pattern, Old Perpetual geyser was one of Lake County's most popular tourist attractions.
The geyser, still heavily promoted by the local Chamber of Commerce as a "must see" destination, stopped erupting for several years after June 2009, possibly due in part to the nearby geothermal development by the Town of Lakeview to supply the Warner Creek Correctional Facility with water for heating. Proposed further development of the site for geothermal power generation purposes threaten the entire hot springs wetlands. As of May 2015, it seems to be regularly erupting again.
Hunter's Hot Springs are named after Harry Hunter, a land developer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hunter visited the site in 1919 while on a tour of the western United States. In 1923, he purchased the 40-acre (16 ha) parcel that included the hot springs with the intention of developing a health resort. He began by organizing Hunter's Chlorine Hot Springs Club, a business established to develop the hot springs as a therapy, rest, and recuperation resort. The club's first president was H. A. Utley and the resort's general manager was Dr. H. G. Kelty.
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