Uravan, CO
A 13-mile long remnant of a hanging flume built over three years in the 1880’s, the flume carried water to the hydraulic mining operations of the Montrose Placer Mining Company. The water was used to provide hydraulic power to separate gold from alluvial rock deposits originating in the San Juan mountains, but after only three years, the mining operation was shut down.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, what remains of the structure is a series of wooden brackets, suspended or braced by metal rods, inserted into holes drilled into the cliff face.
Scope of work
- Member of a large team charged with documenting and understanding the flume’s construction methods and details.
- Guided the engineering inspection of the remaining wooden brackets.
In collaboration with
- Ron Anthony Associates
Wood scientist - Silman
Structural engineer - Western Colorado Interpretive Association