Big Springs (Idaho)
Big Springs is the name of a first-magnitude spring located in Island Park, Idaho in Fremont County. The spring produces over 120 million gallons of water each day. It is a primary source of the North Fork or Henrys Fork of the Snake River. The other major source is the Henry's Lake outlet. The Big Springs is also famous for its large rainbow trout which congregate at the foot of the bridge waiting to be fed by the tourists (there are coin-operated feeding dispensers) No fishing is allowed until below the outlet to Henry's Lake, several miles away. Big Springs is the only first-magnitude spring that issues from rhyolite lava flows. It is a National Natural Landmark designated in August 1980. The spring is in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and the site is managed by the National Forest Service. There is a half mile handicap-accessible trail that offers wildlife viewing of osprey, bald eagles, waterfowl, moose, white-tailed deer, and muskrat.
Next to Big Springs is a log cabin built by Johnny Sack in 1929. The cabin is open to visitors.
Johnny Sack Cabin
Aerial View of Cabin and Big Springs
Plaque at Big Springs Mill run by spring water at Johnny Sack Cabin.
Climate
Whiskey Creek, 6800 ft (2073 m), is a nearby weather station. Whiskey Creek has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc), characterized by long, cold winters and short summers.
| Climate data for Whiskey Creek, Montana, 1992–2020 normals, extremes 1982−present: 6800ft (2073m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 52 (11) |
49 (9) |
63 (17) |
76 (24) |
83 (28) |
89 (32) |
92 (33) |
91 (33) |
86 (30) |
79 (26) |
61 (16) |
61 (16) |
92 (33) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 37.1 (2.8) |
42.2 (5.7) |
52.5 (11.4) |
61.6 (16.4) |
72.3 (22.4) |
80.6 (27.0) |
85.5 (29.7) |
84.3 (29.1) |
78.2 (25.7) |
65.4 (18.6) |
48.1 (8.9) |
37.2 (2.9) |
86.4 (30.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 26.3 (−3.2) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
39.6 (4.2) |
46.9 (8.3) |
57.0 (13.9) |
66.2 (19.0) |
75.9 (24.4) |
74.3 (23.5) |
63.7 (17.6) |
48.4 (9.1) |
33.9 (1.1) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
49.0 (9.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 15.6 (−9.1) |
18.1 (−7.7) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
34.3 (1.3) |
43.0 (6.1) |
50.3 (10.2) |
56.8 (13.8) |
55.0 (12.8) |
46.9 (8.3) |
36.1 (2.3) |
23.4 (−4.8) |
14.7 (−9.6) |
35.0 (1.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 4.9 (−15.1) |
5.3 (−14.8) |
13.1 (−10.5) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
34.3 (1.3) |
37.6 (3.1) |
35.5 (1.9) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
23.8 (−4.6) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
4.3 (−15.4) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −29.9 (−34.4) |
−30.4 (−34.7) |
−16.7 (−27.1) |
1.2 (−17.1) |
16.4 (−8.7) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
4.1 (−15.5) |
−16.6 (−27.0) |
−28.9 (−33.8) |
−38.3 (−39.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −56 (−49) |
−48 (−44) |
−37 (−38) |
−18 (−28) |
2 (−17) |
9 (−13) |
8 (−13) |
11 (−12) |
−4 (−20) |
−25 (−32) |
−39 (−39) |
−50 (−46) |
−56 (−49) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.51 (89) |
3.06 (78) |
3.22 (82) |
3.21 (82) |
3.47 (88) |
2.82 (72) |
1.09 (28) |
1.19 (30) |
1.70 (43) |
2.43 (62) |
3.24 (82) |
3.97 (101) |
32.91 (837) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 15.1 | 13.2 | 13.8 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 10.5 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 10.2 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 135.5 |
| Source 1: XMACIS2 | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation) | |||||||||||||
Bibliography
- Lopez, Tom (2000). Idaho, a Climbing Guide: Climbs, Scrambles, and Hikes. Seattle: Mountaineers' Press.
- Tolman, Cyrus Fisher (1937). Ground Water. New York: McGraw-Hill.
References
- ^ "Johnny Sack Cabin/Big Springs". Fremont County. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
- ^ "Big Springs". National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
- ^ "Johnny Sack Cabin/Big Springs". Fremont County. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
- ^ "Data of Meteorological Station Whiskey Creek, Montana". geographic.org. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Whiskey Creek, Montana 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved August 8, 2024.
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