Several warm springs and a number of warm-water wells are located in Pahrump Valley. The springs include Pahrump (Bennett's) Springs in Sec. 14, T20S, R53E; Manse Ranch Springs in Sec. 3, T21S, R54E; and Brown's Spring in Sec. 15, T22S, R54E. Many of the warmer water wells are in the immediate vicinity of these springs, although a few are located elsewhere in the valley. The geology and hydrogeology of the area is discussed by Hughes (1966).
The mean annual air temperature in Pahrump Valley is 18°C, while spring and well temperatures range from 21 to 28°C. The average temperature gradient in the valley, as determined from water-well data, is about 0.56°C per 26 m (Malmberg, 1967). All springs with temperatures of 21°C or greater were included in Appendix 1, the same practice followed elsewhere in this report. However, in Pahrump Valley, only water wells having a temperature of 21°C or greater combined with a temperature gradient higher than 0.56°C per 23 m were used in this compilation (see figure for the Las Vegas Basin). Malmberg (1967) suggested that the spring temperature at Bennett's Springs, for example, indicates that the water probably originated from a single water-bearing zone about 260 m deep. The abnormally high groundwater temperatures in Pahrump Valley are probably related to the deep circulation of much of that water.