Wilbur Hot Springs
Wilbur Hot Springs is a naturally occurring historic hot spring, health sanctuary, personal retreat and 1,800-acre (7.3 km2) nature reserve 20+ miles west of Williams, Colusa County, in northern California. It is about 2 hours northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area and 1½ hours north of the Sacramento Airport.
Characteristics
Wilbur Hot Springs come from the ground near Bear Creek.[1] The temperature of the springs ranges from 140 degrees[2] to 152 °F (67 °C),[3] and has a flow rate of about 30 gallons per minute. It is part of the Western US, Baja, and British Columbia Hot Springs networks,[4] with its elevation within Colusa County at 1,400 feet (430 m) [5]
- Location: near Clear Lake
- Temperature: 152 °F (67 °C)
- Flow: 30 gpm (114 L/min)
- Capacity: 0.6×106 Btu/hr / 0.2 MWt
- Annual Energy: 4.7×109 Btu/yr / 1.4 GWh/yr
- Load Factor: 0.89
- Delta T: 40 °F (4 °C)
History
Wilbur Hot Springs’ history goes back centuries. Before European settlers came, the springs were used by the
Throughout America in the late 19th century, hot springs became very popular among those who could afford to stay at fashionable hot springs resorts – and to get there in the first place. Often the journeys were long and arduous – and getting to the Colusa County hot springs, soon to be as renowned as Germany's Baden-Baden spas, was no exception.[8]
However, European settlers became attracted to the Wilbur Hot Springs area because of minerals – not in the water, but in the ground – first, copper and sulfur, then gold. In 1863, Ezekial Wilbur and Edwin Howell purchased a 640-acre (2.6 km2) ranch for $1,500. Formed to mine copper along Sulphur Creek, their partnership was soon disbanded when copper ore proved difficult to treat and decreased in value. Within eight months, Wilbur purchased Howell's share of the property for $200, built a wood-frame hotel and announced the opening of ‘Wilbur Hot Sulphur Springs’ in 1865.
Later that year, Wilbur Hot Sulphur Springs was sold to Marcus Marcuse of Marysville. Meanwhile, the reputation of the “miraculous cures” of Sulphur Creek continued to grow. By the 1880s, the European-style health resort built beside the hot springs reached its heyday: Wilbur Springs was known for its scalding hot water springs – “unexcelled for certain diseases” – that boiled up over an area of 100 square feet (9.3 m2). To get there, guests would travel on the
By 1891, however, Wilbur's fortunes were in decline due to an absentee owner and a better property at Sulphur Creek Village. A mile down the road, Sulphur Creek featured a resort and mining village – this time for gold. With its ramshackle bathhouses and neglected cabins, there was “no hotel worthy of the name” at Wilbur. In 1909, the place became a
Modern establishment
In the 1970s,
Miller opened the Hot Springs to the public in 1974. In 1981, he started Cokenders Alcohol and Drug program, closing the hotel for one week a month to hold this pioneering, non-institutional treatment program. There at Wilbur until 1990, Miller detoxified 1,500 addicted, chemically dependent patients using the hot springs’ waters and natural ambiance as healing detoxifying agents.[11]
In 1999 Miller bought the adjoining valley consisting of 1,560 acres (6.3 km2), which had been used for hunting. He placed a conservation easement on the property, thereby limiting development in perpetuity. As a result, Wilbur Hot Springs now has its own nature preserve.[12]
In March 2014, the main hotel was severely damaged by fire.[13] The resort was temporarily closed for repairs.
Climate
The
Climate data for Williams | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 12 (54) |
16 (61) |
19 (66) |
23 (73) |
28 (82) |
33 (91) |
36 (97) |
35 (95) |
32 (89) |
26 (79) |
18 (65) |
13 (55) |
24 (76) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1 (31) |
4 (39) |
5 (41) |
7 (45) |
11 (52) |
14 (58) |
16 (60) |
14 (58) |
13 (55) |
9 (48) |
5 (41) |
2 (36) |
8 (47) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 79 (3.1) |
66 (2.6) |
51 (2) |
23 (0.9) |
10 (0.4) |
5.1 (0.2) |
0 (0) |
2.5 (0.1) |
10 (0.4) |
20 (0.8) |
53 (2.1) |
71 (2.8) |
390 (15.3) |
Average precipitation days | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 47 |
Source: Weatherbase [15] |
See also
References
- ^ "Bear Creek, CA near Wilbur Hot Springs to Cache Creek Conf". Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ "140degrees" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ "152degrees". Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ http://members.peak.org/~skinncr/hotsprings/index.html%7Ctitle=Hot Spring Networks |accessdate=2009-05-12
- ^ "wilbur hot springs - Google Maps". Retrieved 2009-12-16.
- ^ Rogers, Justus H. (1891). Wilbur Springs History. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ "JohnBidwell". Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ "Bay Area Health". Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ Trucco, Terry (1994-06-26). "NYTimes on Hot Springs". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ "California Aggie 13 November 1968 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ISBN 9780893919054.
- ^ "WIEH". Archived from the original on April 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ Carolyn Jones (March 31, 2014). "Wilbur Hot Springs historic lodge hit by fire". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Climate Summary for Williams, CA
- ^ "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on June 27, 2013.