Numerous springs about 1.5 km north of the present town of Wells were a stopping point on the emigrant trail, and although not particularly warm, they have never been known to freeze over (Adams and Bishop, 1884, p.192). Three areas of hot springs are located adjacent to a basin-and-range fault which runs along the west side of the Snake Mountains north of Wells figure. These springs are in Secs. 29,20,17, T38N, R62E. Threemile Spring (Sec. 20) flows from an 80- to 100-m-diameter travertine mound; some gas is emitted. Temperatures are reported as high as 61°C, and estimates of reservoir temperatures are as high as 184°C, based on a Na-K-Ca geothermometer. The thermal waters may have mixed with cool groundwater, however (Mariner and others, 1974).
The Humboldt Wells system is probably not very hot, but may be mixed with considerable cool waters. Sampling in this area was conducted to help characterize the geothermal system along 25 m of a fault zone and determine if there are any resources that are hot enough for moderate temperature uses. Two springs were sampled near Wells, one in Sec. 20, T38N, R62E (54°C) and one in Sec. 27, T39N, R62E (40°C). The chalcedony and Na-K-Ca geothermometer from the sites are only slightly greater than measured temperatures.
The Wells Rural Electric in the town of Wells currently (2002) uses geothermal fluid sourced heat pumps to heat their building.