Gunnison Tunnel
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Gunnison Tunnel | |
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| Location | Montrose County, Colorado, USA |
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| Nearest city | Montrose, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 38°29′36″N 107°43′17″W / 38.49333°N 107.72139°WCoordinates: 38°29′36″N 107°43′17″W / 38.49333°N 107.72139°W |
| NRHP Reference # | 79000616 |
| Added to NRHP | 1979-07-22 |
The Gunnison Tunnel is a 5.8 mile (9.3 km) irrigation tunnel constructed between 1905 and 1909[1] by the Bureau of Reclamation.[2] At the time of its completion, it was the longest irrigation tunnel in the world. The tunnel diverts water from the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison to the arid Uncompahgre Valley around Montrose, Colorado.
The tunnel opened in 1909 to much fanfare with a dedication ceremony attended by President William Howard Taft.
In 1972, the tunnel was designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
References
- ↑ Page, Arthur W. (August 1907). "Running A River Through A Mountain: The Six-Mile Gunnison Tunnel". The World's Work: A History of Our Time XIV: 9322–9330. Retrieved 2009-07-10. Includes construction photos.
- ↑ Project History - Uncompahgre Project.
Further reading
Bureau of Reclamation - Uncompahgre Project
"The Uncompahgre Valley and The Gunnison Tunnel," by Barton W. Marsh (1905).
Celebration on opening of the Gunnison Tunnel, 1909
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