The natural hot springs in Blaine County are the Condie, near Carey, Hailey, Clarendon, Guyer, Warfield, Easley, and Russian John. These springs are favorite resorts for bathing. Several well-to-do people have built summer homes near Warfield and Easley Hot Springs.
The Baptists have a camping ground for their meetings and summer vacation near the latter spring.
There are two dams in Blaine County that are worthy of special mention, the Fish Creek and the Magic. The former is situated about 14 miles in a northeasterly direction from the town of Carey. It was commenced in 1916 and completed in 1920. It is built entirely of concrete, of the multiple arch type, is 190 feet high and about 1600 feet long, and is said to be the longest dam in the world of this type. It cost about $1,000,000 and impounds 13,000 acre feet of water when full. The Magic Dam is situated about 23 miles in a southwesterly direction from Hailey, at the confluence of the Malad and Wood Rivers, which supply it with water. Construction was started in 1907 and practically completed in 1910, when water was first stored for irrigation purposes. It is an earthen dam, maximum height above the floor of the tunnel, intake end, 114 feet; top width is 10 feet and the main dam is approximately 1800 feet long, upstream slope is three to one, and the downstream slope is two to one, making the bottom width of the dam 580 feet; the upstream face is heavily riprapped. At the time of its construction it was considered the highest dam in the world. The top of the dam is at an elevation of 4940, and the top of the concrete spillway is 4930, but the high water elevation, when the reservoir is full, is at an elevation of 4935. The maximum impoundage, or storage, at the 4935 elevation is 191,500 acre-feet. The reservoir and system were built to irrigate about 125,000 acres of land, but under decree of the court this has been cut to 75,000 acres net. When full, the water backs up approximately seven miles, and at this stage the area submerged is practically 3,800 acres. The total cost of the dam, reservoir and machinery was approximately $2,000,000.00. Trout weighing from four to 12 pounds are caught in the back waters of the dam.
Back to: Blaine County, Idaho Genealogy and History
Source: Based on McLeod, George A. History of Alturas and Blaine Counties, Idaho. The Hailey Times, Publisher. Hailey, Idaho. 1930.