Spence Hot Springs
Thermal springs
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Spence Hot Springs are a group of geothermal springs located north of the town of Jemez Springs, New Mexico, in the Valles Caldera National Preserve.[1][2]
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| Spence Hot Springs | |
|---|---|
Spence Hot Spring, upper and lower pool | |
 Interactive map of Spence Hot Springs | |
| Location | Jemez Springs, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 35°50′58″N 106°37′47″W |
| Elevation | 6,000 ft |
| Type | geothermal |
| Temperature | lower source: 100°F, upper source: 109°F |
Features
The main spring is located on a hillside above the Jemez River, and flows into a sandy bottomed primitive rock soaking pool before cascading into two additional rock pools of different temperatures terraced on the hillside. The middle pool also has an additional water source from a spring inside a cave with a water temperature 100°F/38°C. The lower pool is the coolest of the three at 95°F. There are two more springs with soaking pools 50 feet uphill and an additional spring located 200 more feet uphill.[2]
Due to overuse, the condition of the area has been subjected to considerable resource damage.[3]
Geology
Spence Hot Springs are located at the edge of a collapsed super volcano, the Valles Caldera, near the Soda Dam.[4]
Water profile
The water emerges from the upper spring at 109°F; and at 100°F from the spring in the cave.[2][1] Naegleria Fowleri has been found in the hot spring water, a potentially fatal parasitic amoeba common in warm and springs.[5]