Idaho Told To Shut Down Spring Because It Effects Old Faithful

What do the hot springs in Soda Springs, Idaho, and Yellowstone's Old Faithful have in common?

NOTHING - Absolutely NOTHING!

But the Federal Government once tried to shut down Soda Springs, claiming it was affecting Old Faithful, even though they knew it was not true.

In November 1937, local businessmen drilled a 315-foot hole to find warm water for a commercial bathhouse.  To their surprise, or better yet - SHOCK - instead of a gentle hot spring, they hit a massive underground chamber of pressurized carbon dioxide gas and cold mineral water. The well shot water 70 feet into the air and roared continuously for nearly two weeks, threatening to flood parts of the town.

The federal government did ask the town of Soda Springs, Idaho, to turn off its newly created geyser in 1937 because officials mistakenly believed it was throwing Yellowstone’s Old Faithful off schedule.

After a few weeks of continuous eruption, and nobody trying to shut the damn thing off, the city allegedly received a telegram from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior demanding that the town shut off the geyser because it was allegedly disrupting the world-famous Old Faithful geyser 140 miles away in Yellowstone National Park.

That's just stupid on every level.

Scientists later confirmed that the two geothermal systems are completely separate and that the Idaho geyser had no actual effect on Yellowstone. The connection was pure myth.

The flow of water was capped, mostly to save the town.

Today, Geyser Park features the world's only "captive geyser" controlled by an automated timer that releases the pressure to shoot water 70 feet in the air once every hour, on the hour.

It is a FAKE OLD FAITHFUL! But it's still cool.