Hanging Flume

 flume, historic ruins

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Historic elevated flume system listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The flume was built between 1889 and 1891, and originally consisted of 1.8 million feet of lumber suspended on the canyon wall with iron rods high above the Dolores River. The 6-mile-long system provided water to the Montrose Placer Mining Company in their gold-mining operation along the river. The mining outfit was unsuccessful, and only operated for three years. After the mine's closure, some of the wood used in the flume was reclaimed by locals for use elsewhere. What's left today is steadily deteriorating due to weather exposure and wood rotting, but the Western Colorado Interpretive Association is undertaking efforts to preserve the structure.