Unnamed Thermal Spring

Owyhee County, Oregon · Near Homedale
43.0730°N, 117.6970°W · 3,120 ft
Hot 35°F air · Good soaking weather 3,120 ft Open Short Walk Bureau of Land Management

This unnamed thermal point in Owyhee County sits on public ground that the Bureau of Land Management manages, about 22 miles from Homedale. The record lists it as hot without giving a temperature, so no one can say from here if it is soakable. Access is open. What the record does have is a water analysis, which is more than most unnamed springs can claim.

Location

One mile of walking, which the listing still calls a short walk, from a road it never names. BLM ground, run out of the Vale office. For this region it counts as low desert at a bit over three thousand feet, and it stays dry through the year with only light snow.

No best months are on file for this one. Access is open and there is no fee on record. The water chemistry dates from June 1992 and shows alkaline water carrying calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate and chloride; that is a thirty-year-old sample, so treat it as background. Since the temperature is not recorded, do not plan a soak around it. No campground is listed.

Terrain

Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around this spring.

Aerial view of the ground around the spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around the spring
Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.

Setting
Hillside
The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the east.
Highest ground nearby
277 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the east
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from west to east, about 0.6 miles end to end.

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
74 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 9% of the springs on this site.

Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.

Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.

Monthly Climate
32°
Jan
38°
Feb
45°
Mar
52°
Apr
61°
May
71°
Jun
82°
Jul
81°
Aug
69°
Sep
54°
Oct
41°
Nov
33°
Dec
Annual Precip: 10.3 in Annual Snow: 17.0 in
Current Conditions
35°F
SSE 25.0 mph 66% Good soaking weather
Today 76° Low 48° Sunny
Wednesday 77° Low 49° Sunny
Thursday 75° Low 46° Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny 31% precip
Friday 77° Low 46° Sunny 5% precip
Saturday 79° Low 47° Sunny 1% precip
Water Chemistry Sampled 1992-06-16

The water at This spring is alkaline (pH 8.9).

pH 8.9 Alkaline
pH influences mineral absorption through skin
Calcium 2 mg/L
May support bone density and joint health
Magnesium 0 mg/L
Known for muscle relaxation and stress relief
Sodium 180 mg/L
Supports circulation and skin hydration
Sulfate 65 mg/L
Traditionally used for skin conditions and inflammation
Chloride 80 mg/L
Natural antiseptic with skin health benefits
Where to Stay

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Temperature
Hot
Warm Hot Boiling
Avg Air Temp 55°F
Access
Open
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 1.0 mi
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Vale Malheur Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at ?
is classified as hot. An exact temperature measurement has not been recorded.
Where is located?
is located in Owyhee County, Oregon at 3,120 feet elevation, near Homedale. Coordinates: 43.0730°N, 117.6970°W.
How do I get to ?
has Short Walk road access (1.0 mi from the road).
Is free to visit?
has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
What minerals are in the water at ?
Water chemistry analysis shows the presence of pH, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Sulfate, Chloride. The pH is 8.9 (alkaline).
Sources: USGS NWIS