Can geothermal development and hot springs coexist?

Can Chaffee County have both geothermal power and the hot springs it's famous for? A new peer-reviewed study, commissioned by Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort and published in the journal Groundwater, dug into exactly that question. The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Researchers found that the same faults, fractures and shear zones that feed the region's beloved hot springs can also serve as pathways for geothermal development to interfere with them, meaning the fate of your favorite soak may come down to where, exactly, developers decide to drill.

The full story digs into how scientists modeled underground scenarios to show that a poorly placed extraction well could sap a spring's temperature and flow, while a well-placed injection well might actually boost it — plus why the researchers say geothermal technology gets unfairly lumped in with fracking, what monitoring should happen next, and how the two hydrologists behind the study — both Salida locals — ended up devoting years to answering it. Read the full breakdown at the Chaffee County Times.