Gunnison Tunnel
About this property
The Gunnison Tunnel is an irrigation tunnel constructed between 1905 and 1909 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Montrose County, Colorado. The 5.8-mile-long (9.3 km) tunnel diverts water from the Gunnison River to the arid Uncompahgre Valley around Montrose, Colorado. At the time of its completion, it was the longest irrigation tunnel in the world and quickly made the area around Montrose into profitable agricultural lands. In 1972, the tunnel was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The idea for a tunnel is credited to Frank Lauzon, a miner and prospector. By the early 1890s he was farming in Montrose. Popular lore is that idea came to him in a dream that the waters of the Gunnison River should be brought to the valley. In the late 1890s, the campaign for the tunnel was led by Omer Madison Kem. National funding was approved in 1902. As construction was undertaken, two advances in technology made work safer and easier. Jackhammers fed by a compressor replaced hand-turned drill bits to set holes for blasting charges. Dynamite replaced black powder for blasting. By 1906 shifts of workers up to 30 at a time worked in the tunnel. The tunnel opened in 1909 to much fanfare with a dedication ceremony attended by President William Howard Taft. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The tunnel is 5.8 miles (9.3 km) long and is 11 by 12 feet (3.4 m × 3.7 m) in cross-section, with square corners at the bottom and an arched roof. It drops about 40 feet (12 m) over its length. At the deepest, it is about 2,200 feet (670 m) beneath the surface of Vernal Mesa. In 2009, some communities in the Uncompahgre Valley, celebrated the centennial anniversary of the Gunnison Tunnel opening. List of tunnels documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Colorado "Uncompahgre Project". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Marsh, Barton W. (1905). The Uncompahgre Valley and The Gunnison Tunnel. American Society of Civil Engineers site - The Gunnison Tunnel article Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. CO-95, "Uncompahgre Project, Gunnison Tunnel, Gunnison River, Montrose, Montrose County, CO", 3 data pages
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Gunnison Tunnel
This page lists Gunnison Tunnel. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Nearby Historic Sites
Questions about this property
When was Gunnison Tunnel listed on the National Register?
Gunnison Tunnel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 21, 1979.
What type of historic resource is Gunnison Tunnel?
Gunnison Tunnel is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Gunnison Tunnel?
The period of significance for Gunnison Tunnel is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Gunnison Tunnel?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Gunnison Tunnel will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Montrose County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Montrose County.
Explore MontroseCounty ›More historic places in Colorado
Browse all historic places in Colorado.
View Coloradohistoric sites ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Gunnison Tunnel will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.