Monitoring
Monitoring of geothermal resources is currently being conducted in four major areas:
Monitoring data collected often include wellhead pressure and temperature, flow rates, and totalized flow. In the past, geochemical data were collected at many of the hot springs and wells.
Research & Maps
Management of Stressed Geothermal Aquifers
Declining wellhead pressures and water levels caused IDWR to issue orders restricting additional geothermal withdrawals in the Boise Front and Twin Falls County areas. In the 1980s, three geothermal Groundwater Management Areas were established as a result of these stresses:
- Banbury Hot Springs Area
- Boise Front Low Temperature Geothermal Resource Area
- Twin Falls Geothermal Resources Area
Additional restrictions were put in place in the Boise Front and Twin Falls areas through Department-issued Moratoriums. Also, Groundwater District 63-S was established in 1989 for the Stewart Gulch area, which is a subset of the Boise Front GWMA, and is located about six miles to the northwest of downtown Boise.
