East Portal & the Gunnison Tunnel

 

Engineering Landmark

The Gunnison Tunnel is both a Civil Engineering Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

The community at East Portal brought together people of various skills and backgrounds to construct the Gunnison Tunnel. It would transfer irrigation water from the Gunnison River to the fields of the Uncompahgre Valley to the west.

From 1905 to 1909, workers built a tunnel 11 feet (3.4 m) x 12 feet (3.7 m). It spanned 5.8 miles (9.3 km) from East Portal, through the Black Canyon cliffs, and underground until it reached the West Portal, east of Montrose. The tunnel’s grade is 0.2 percent, allowing water to move at a velocity of 10 feet per second (3 m /sec) when full. The capacity is over 1,000 cubic feet per second (304 cubic m/ sec).

 

East Portal and Gunnison River. 1905-1909

Courtesy of Denver Public Library Special Collections, Z-1351

 

Men, likely from the Pelton Expedition, stand by the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. September 1900.

Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library Special Collections, Z-7373

Water Demand and Canyon Expeditions

Most land in the American Southwest did not have reliable sources of irrigation for agriculture. Settlers moving to Colorado in the 1880s realized they could not rely solely on rain to supply enough water for crops.

As stream diversion from the Uncompahgre River started to run dry in the late 1800s, farmers of the Uncompahgre Valley needed other options. Frank Lauzon, a local farmer and former miner, is credited with the idea for a tunnel. Legend says he had a dream about the Gunnison River waters being brought to the valley for irrigation.

Plans to divert water from the Gunnison River within the Black Canyon started in the late 1800s with surveys and expeditions to scout possible locations. While the Gunnison River was the most reliable water source in the area, the river had carved through the Gunnison Uplift and created the Black Canyon. The deep canyon walls created a serious barrier for farmers wanting to utilize the river’s waters.

An onsite inspection trip of Black Canyon and the Gunnison River was organized in 1900 under John Pelton. Pelton was a farmer, miner, and head of the local land office. Members included surveyor John Curtis, farmers Erik Anderson and Frank Hovey, and William Torrence, director of the local electric company. The unexplored canyon proved to be a great challenge, especially in wooden boats. Near the area now called “The Narrows,” they abandoned their quest and climbed their way to the rim. However, the trip focused state and national attention on the proposal, and increased support for it.

Hydrologist Abraham Lincoln Fellows was telegrammed from Washington, D.C. to investigate the tunnel’s potential. He hired William Torrence, who had accompanied Pelton on his expedition, for a 9-day expedition in August, 1901. They set out with rubber air mattresses and waterproof bags, an improvement from equipment used in previous expeditions. Subsequent canyon surveys by Fellows and his crew in 1902 and 1903 revealed the tunnel to be feasible.

 

Possibly a portion of the South Canal, part of the Gunnison Tunnel Project, under construction and dry. Photo circa 1905-1909.

Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library Special Collections, Z-1349

Reclamation Act of 1902

Irrigation methods had been practiced for centuries before settlers arrived. The term “reclamation” was used to describe the concept of irrigation “reclaiming” arid lands for human use. The State of Colorado originally funded $25,000 to start the tunnel to connect to a 12 mile (19.3 km) canal called "State Canal No. 3." In December 1901, workers broke ground on the Uncompahgre Vally side. Costs were vastly underestimated, and work halted after completed just 900 feet (274 m). An alternate site was eventually selected three miles upriver.

Attempts to engage the federal government into the role of reclamation had been stalled for years. Investments in infrastructure for roads, harbors, canals, and railroads was prioritized. This changed when Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901. He supported the National Reclamation Act of 1902. Congressman John C. Bell, from nearby Montrose, was an early proponent and cosponsored the bill which also authorized the Gunnison Tunnel. Bell vigorously argued for its passage on the floor of the House of Representatives.

This changed when Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901. He supported the National Reclamation Act of 1902. Congressman John C. Bell, from nearby Montrose, was an early proponent and cosponsored the bill which also authorized the Gunnison Tunnel. Bell vigorously argued for its passage on the floor of the House of Representatives.

“The basis of our prosperity is our great agricultural productions, and the stability of our institutions depends upon the home owners. The home has ever been esteemed as the basis of the government. It is the great humanizer and civilizer of the world. Can anyone doubt the good sense policy advocated by this bill in lending to the home maker a few million to enable them to help themselves?”
- John Bell, Congressional Record, 1902

On June 17, 1902, the National Reclamation Act was passed. This act authorized the Secretary of the Interior to undertake water resource development activities. Water projects were financed by the federal government to provide water for irrigation. The Reclamation Service was created to carry out these projects, later renamed the Bureau of Reclamation in 1923.

“On June 17, 1902, the Reclamation Act was passed...for the purpose of reclaiming the arid West by irrigating lands and thus creating new homes, upon the land...it has gone far to transform the social aspect of the West, making for the stability of the institutions upon which the welfare of the whole country rests...”
- Theodore Roosevelt, 1913

The Reclamation Act charged Chief Engineer of the new Bureau of Reclamation, Frederick Newell, to begin on projects in Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, and Colorado. The Uncompahgre Project in western Colorado included the construction of the Gunnison Tunnel. Newell was among Roosevelt’s closest advisors on conservation.

 

Map showing the Gunnison Tunnel and Uncompahgre Valley. The park boundary, East Portal, West Portal, Lujane, and Montrose are labeled.

NPS

 

Three men working on the East Portal Road, August 1904

Photo courtesy of the National Archives
Construction Photo Albums, Uncompahgre Project, Box 136

East Portal Road and Townsite

A road was blasted into the cliffs of Black Canyon during 1904. The road was incredibly steep, with grades up to 32 percent, as it reached the canyon bottom. It was difficult for those driving supplies, including three 11,600-pound boilers for the power plant, to the emerging town at the canyon bottom. Skids were used to ease down drilling equipment.

A writer for the Montrose Press recorded, “Every vehicle that goes to the River (East) Portal is provided with an iron “shoe” that fastens on the back wheel and secured by a chain... With the wheel securely fastened...one’s hair stands on end as the horses start on a trot... so we shut our eyes, grapple the lines as tightly as possible, and trust to Providence that the vehicle will remain on the grade until a level spot is struck...”

Residents of the growing town of East Portal originally lived in canvas tents. By 1906 it was a thriving community on the lower slopes of the canyon. While it never housed more than 250 people, it still provided a dining hall and bunkhouses for single men working around the clock in three shifts. Families lived in private cabins. Other services included a hospital, post office, general store, library, billiard hall, and school. A power plant with three generators produced electricity for the tunnel construction operations and the entire town. Herbert Daniels was the superintendent of the town of East Portal. Schooled in engineering, he kept construction on schedule, the tunnel on a straight course, and the town well supplied.

A townsite with similar amenities called Lujane was built near West Portal.

 

Three men with surveying equipment, East Portal. c. 1905.

Photo courtesy of Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association

Tunnel Construction and Operations

Survey measurements had to be precise for the tunnel. This was a difficult task in the rough and steep terrain. By using geometry and linking the hypotenuse (or long side) of right-angled triangles together, a direct line could be stretched from river to rim.

Work under the first contractor utilized older technology for digging and drilling. After a tunnel accident and contractor change in 1905, workers were given newer technology making work safer and easier. First, jack hammers fed by a compressor replaced hand-turned drill bits to set holes for blasting charges. Second, dynamite replaced black powder for blasting. It was more stable, reliable, and reduced the number of injuries during the project.

By 1906, shifts of up to 30 workers at a time were working inside the tunnel. While digging continued on the tunnel, a massive effort was made to extend a system of ditches to carry the water to individual farm fields. The largest of these, the South Canal, would carry water from the tunnel to the Uncompahgre River.

Workers used electric-powered trains to lug the carts full of debris out after blasting. Candles and lanterns were first used to light the work, but electric lights strung along lines improved visibility in the tunnel. While the work progressed around the clock in the tunnel, office help continued to keep the laborers supplied. Payroll, purchasing and repairs on equipment were all part of the effort.

Workers used a “heading and bench system” to create a tunnel 12 feet (3.6 m) tall. They initially cut a “heading” out of the rock by starting at the top of the bore. They cut down 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m), leaving a bench of 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 m) on which to stand. Two drillers and a helper cut deeper into the rock while standing on the bench. The bench was eventually cut out, leaving the full 12-foot height of the tunnel.

 

Graphic representation of United States Reclamation Service 'Profile of Gunnison Tunnel Showing Progress of Work' from the Uncompahgre Valley Project, Colorado.

NPS

 

Gunnison Tunnel workers near the West Portal, 1905.

Photo courtesy of National Archives
Construction Photo Albums, Uncompahgre Project, Box 136

The Workers

Workers, mostly miners and immigrants, were paid up to $2.50 an hour. This was decent pay for the time, but not enough to overcome the hazardous work. The average stay for a laborer was 2 to 3 weeks. Many workers and their families lived in the towns near their side of work. East Portal was within the canyon along the Gunnison River, while Lujane was near the West Portal and present-day U.S. Highway 50.

Conditions in the tunnel were challenging and dangerous. Toxic gases, high temperatires, water seeping in, and working with clay, shale, and sand created complications with drilling. 26 workers were killed over the project years from a cave-in, explosion, smoke inhalation, and rock fall. Others were badly injured or maimed. Technological advances during the middle of the project helped make the work safer and easier.

 

Gunnison Tunnel opening; introducing the President at the speakers' stand. September 23, 1090.

Photo courtesy of National Archives
Construction Photo Albums, Uncompahgre Project, Box 136

Dedication and Final Construction Years

Workers digging from both ends met in the middle in July 1909. President William Taft was vacationing in the west, and an invitation to dedicate the tunnel was made. A gala event with a parade, speeches, music, and dining supported the dedication on September 23, 1909. Taft pressed a button at West Portal, laborers opened a makeshift gate, and water flowed into the valley. A parade on Main Street in Montrose celebrated the tunnel's dedication.

Although the tunnel was dedicated in 1909, the project was not complete. A diversion dam, concrete lining of the tunnel, and ditch system were not completed until 1922. The project ended up costing around $5,000,000. The money was paid back over a ten-year period, interest free, through the sale of water rights to Uncompahgre Valley settlers. The Gunnison Tunnel and irrigation canal system continues to supply water for crops and sustain agricultural operations in the area today.

 

East Portal: Then and Now

Left image
Historic town of East Portal circa 1905
Credit: Photograph courtesy of the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association

Right image
East Portal, 2008
Credit: NPS

East Portal remained within Black Canyon for about ten years during the construction of the Gunnison Tunnel. After that, most structures were dismantled. The slopes above the previous townsite may still contain remnants of the residents' and workers' lives. Please do not disturb or remove any historic items.

 

Modern Day Operations

Irrigation water usually flows through the tunnel from April through October. Gravity causes the water to flow from West Portal through the South Canal to the Uncompahgre River. The river supplies six primary canals, such as the Montrose & Delta and Selig Canals. From these primary canals, water flows into secondary ditches and eventually into farm fields.

West Portal is not accessible to the public. The Gunnison Diversion Dam, tunnel entrance, and modern infrastructure are visible at East Portal.