Page 120 - 1915, Springs of CA.

112 SPRINGS OP CALIFORNIA.
The water of the White Sulphur Spring is characterized chiefly by
primary salinity and primary alkalinity with high tertiary alkalinity.
It is possible that the latest analysis represents a different water from
that represented by the other two analyses, though the spring name
is the same for all. If, however, the three analyses represent the
same water, they indicate that a gradual loss of carbon dioxide and
hydrogen sulphide, accompanied by increase in concentration, has
been taking place. The net result of these changes has been increase
in primary alkalinity, decrease in secondary alkalinity, and a very
great decrease in tertiary alkalinity.
Though the analyses of the other springs show differences in con-
centration and in proportion of minor constituents, their waters are
much alike in general properties of reaction, approaching sea water
in character but differing from it in containing a less proportion of
magnesium and sulphate radicles. The presence of rare constituents
in waters of such high concentration is to be expected. The water
of the Black Sulphur Spring appears to be a relatively pure solution
of common salt, and the "Surprise" is noteworthy for its great con-
centration more than nine times that of sea water.
The adjacent hills are composed of cherty gravels and other finer
sediments that represent marine deposits, but the origin and character
of the springs seem to be due to the local formation of a saline marsh.
Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to obtain fresh water
here, and in 1908 the domestic supply was pumped from a well If
miles eastward.
BOYES HOT SPRINGS (SONOMA 20).
A number of small warm springs issue along Sonoma Creek, a few
miles north of San Pablo Bay. Artesian wells that also yield warm
water have been drilled at several places on the eastern side of Sonoma
Valley, and at three places where such wells have been obtained
resorts have been built up that are well patronized during the summer
months, as they are only a two and a half hours' ride by train from
San Francisco. Boyes Hot Springs, about 2 miles northwest of
Sonoma, is the southernmost of these resorts. Here a hotel and sev-
eral cottages and tent houses are situated in a grove of oaks, and a
quarter of a mile northwest of the hotel a large swimming plunge
and tub baths are supplied by water pumped from two wells. These
are said to be 200 feet deep, and the temperature of the water is
reported to be 114° and 118°. The wells, the first of which was
drilled about 1890, flowed until a short time after the earthquake of
April 18, 1906, but the water usually stands a few feet below the sur-
face. A third, unused well 300 or 400 yards to the east was flowing
about 3 gallons a minute in December, 1909. The water is bottled
for table use, and an analysis of it is tabulated (p. 113) for comparison
with analyses of other similar waters of this valley.