Chloride

The anion that makes a spring salty.

What it is

Chloride is the dominant anion in saline springs and the partner of sodium. High-chloride springs are sometimes called "salt springs."

In hot springs

Chloride tracks with sodium in saline springs. Concentrations range from a few mg/L to over 1,000 mg/L in the most saline waters.

Cited benefits and context

Saline springs are traditional in balneotherapy, and the general balneotherapy literature finds possible benefit for some rheumatological conditions, with the usual caveats about evidence quality (PMC7383020).

The EPA sets a secondary chloride standard of 250 mg/L for drinking water, based on taste (EPA Secondary Drinking Water Standards). There is no strong clinical evidence that chloride specifically, as opposed to mineral-water bathing generally, confers a distinct health benefit.

Cautions

High-chloride water stings broken skin and can dry the skin. Rinse after soaking.

Springs ranked by most chloride

179 springs with verified chloride data · showing top 50 · source: USGS Water Quality Portal

  1. 1

    Squaw Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    7700 mg/L

  2. 2

    Battle Creek Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    5400 mg/L

  3. 3

    Alpine Warm Spring

    id · 85°F · primitive

    2800 mg/L

  4. 4

    Heise Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · developed

    2400 mg/L

  5. 5

    Malad Warm Spring

    id · 90°F · primitive

    2100 mg/L

  6. 6

    Prices Warm Spring

    id · 85°F · primitive

    2100 mg/L

  7. 7

    Woodruff Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    1600 mg/L

  8. 8

    BLM Well (Frazier Hot Spring)

    id · 105°F · primitive

    880 mg/L

  9. 9

    Maple Grove Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    630 mg/L

  10. 10

    Brockman Creek Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    590 mg/L

  11. 11

    Pleasantview Warm Springs

    id · 85°F · primitive

    470 mg/L

  12. 12

    Cove Creek Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    310 mg/L

  13. 13

    Cleveland Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    295 mg/L

  14. 14

    Grape Creek Warm Spring

    id · 85°F · primitive

    260 mg/L

  15. 15

    Hot Springs State Park

    wy · 104°F · primitive

    260 mg/L

  16. 16

    Rockland Warm Springs

    id · 85°F · primitive

    250 mg/L

  17. 17

    Indian Springs (Resort)

    id · 102°F · developed

    220 mg/L

  18. 18

    Crane Creek Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    200 mg/L

  19. 19

    Lava Hot Springs

    id · 130°F · developed

    190 mg/L

  20. 20

    White Licks Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    150 mg/L

  21. 21

    Lakey Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    140 mg/L

  22. 22

    Mammoth Hot Springs

    wy · 162°F · developed

    107 mg/L

  23. 23

    Bear Lake Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · developed

    79 mg/L

  24. 24

    Marsh Gully Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    73 mg/L

  25. 25

    Roystone Hot Springs

    id · 105°F · developed

    61 mg/L

  26. 26

    Sullivan Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    57 mg/L

  27. 27

    Sharkey Hot Spring

    mt · 102°F · primitive

    54 mg/L

  28. 28

    Oakley Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    53 mg/L

  29. 29

    Salmon Falls Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    52 mg/L

  30. 30

    Firehole Lake

    wy · 160°F · developed

    47 mg/L

  31. 31

    Bald Mountain Hot Springs

    id · 115°F · primitive

    42 mg/L

  32. 32

    Secret Valley Hot Springs

    wy · 140°F · primitive

    42 mg/L

  33. 33

    Cabarton Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    40 mg/L

  34. 34

    West Pass Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    39 mg/L

  35. 35

    Big Spring

    id · 85°F · primitive

    38 mg/L

  36. 36

    Yellowstone Hot Springs

    mt · 104°F · resort

    34.90 mg/L

  37. 37

    Hot Sulphur (Miracle Hot) Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    34 mg/L

  38. 38

    Big Creek Hot Springs

    mt · 102°F · primitive

    31 mg/L

  39. 39

    Banbury Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    29 mg/L

  40. 40

    Yandell Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    29 mg/L

  41. 41

    Belvidere Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    28 mg/L

  42. 42

    Broadwater Hot Springs

    mt · 151°F · resort

    27 mg/L

  43. 43

    Lick Creek Warm Spring

    id · 85°F · primitive

    26 mg/L

  44. 44

    Krigbaum Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    25 mg/L

  45. 45

    Tadpole Warm Spring

    id · 85°F · primitive

    25 mg/L

  46. 46

    Slate Creek Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    24 mg/L

  47. 47

    Boiling River

    wy · 199°F · primitive

    23 mg/L

  48. 48

    Elk Creek Hot Spring

    id · 102°F · primitive

    22 mg/L

  49. 49

    Beardsley Hot Springs

    id · 102°F · primitive

    22 mg/L

  50. 50

    Stinky Warm Spring

    id · 85°F · primitive

    22 mg/L

Sources

← All minerals