Springs
Breitenbush Hot Springs has long been the site of natural geothermal springs. It was a frequent gathering place for local Native American groups.
The hot springs are borne from precipitation on the surrounding Cascade Range. Analysis of the mineral and chemical content indicates an average subsurface temperature of 356 °F (180 °C) and a migration time of several thousand years. The water's long contact with aquifer rock at such temperatures saturates it with dissolved minerals such as sulfate, calcite, analcime, anhydrite, chalcedony, microcline, muscovite, quartz, wairakite, and the elements potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and lithium. The surface temperature of the springs is about 180 °F (82 °C)—the lower temperature due to heat transfer to cooler rock near the Earth's surface.
Heat for the buildings is from one of two wells. To prevent mineral precipitation in the pipes, the wells are fitted with heat exchangers using closed loop water circulation. The drilled wells are approximately 500 feet (150 m) deep and produce circulating water at about 190 °F (88 °C) which is distributed through radiators in each building.
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