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Montana Geothermal Sites: Biltmore Hot Springs
SUMMARY INFORMATION:
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| AKA: New
Biltmore Location: N 45.4620 W 112.4750 Nearest town: 12 miles SW of Twin Bridges County: Madison Depth: spring Temperature: 127° F Flow: 74 gpm TDS: 1,970 mg/L Chemistry: See below Site ID: MGEOT326 LOCATE AND VIEW VIA NRIS DIGITAL MAP LOCATOR: Allows resizing of topos and access to aerial photographs. |
CHEMISTRY (ppm, mg/L) Site name: BILTMORE Temp: 53.0° C TDS : 1,970 pH: 6.80 Sodium: 160.0 Potassium: 24 Calcium: 290.0 Magnesium: 73 Boron: 900.00 SiO2: 46.00 Sulfate:1100 Chloride: 46.0 Fluoride: 3.3 |
Hot springs rise from river gravels about 300 yards from the Big Hole River. The hot water was previously used to fill a swimming pool and hot plunges at the former Biltmore resort. The immediate area surrounding the spring is privately owned.
The predicted reservoir temperature range is 158 to 352 F (70 to 178 C). The spring water is slightly radioactive and is claimed to have associated healing powers. Flow from the spring is 100 gpm and has been used in as a heat source for rooms at the site.
Very little geothermal exploration has been done at the site. The regional geology is similar to the Silver Star (Barkell’s) site, with indications of deep faults with some seismic activity.
Federal lands near the springs were opened for geothermal lease in 1974 and six leases were issued to Phillips Petroleum. Hot water rises from the river gravels which overlie the Meagher Limestone and water probably circulates at depth through the Paleozoic sedimentary section. A northeast trending fault displaces rock near the site and may be the conduit for geothermal fluids (Brown, 1979).
