On Monday, March 21, 2005 diesel was observed coming out of a hot water spring that feeds a developed hot spring pool, approximately 23 miles North of Crouch, Idaho. The commercial hot spring pool (known as the Silver Creek Plunge) discharges to Silver Creek, which is a tributary to the Middle Fork of the Payette River, which is a water of the U.S.. Upon investigation by the property owner, it was discovered that a line from a 2,000 gallon above-ground storage tank to a generator had been broken, probably about two weeks earlier, causing the release of an estimated 725 gallons of fuel mixture used for the generator (approx. 80% dyed #2 diesel and 20% stove oil). The release location was covered in snow and it was not observed until March 21st. The spilled fuel soaked into the granitic soil and into cracks in the granite substrate, where it comingled with the hot spring water prior to entering the hotspring pool. Fuel also found its way into a french drain around the foundation of an adjacent shop building. Diesel fuel was found where the drain discharges on land surface, but was contained prior to entering Silver Creek. Fuel was contained in the hot springs pool, where it was recovered using absorbent pads. Approximately 300 yards of contaminated soils that have been excavated to date and stockpiled on site. As of March 31, 2005, there is no observable discharge of fuel to Silver Creek.
