Pioneer Gold Mining: The Hanging Flume

The story of the Hanging Flume begins near Montrose Colorado. The hanging flume was a 13 mile water canal, that delivered water from the San Miguel river down the canyon to the Dolores Canyon gold claims. The purpose of the flume was to deliver water down to the gold rich sediment, where sluice operations took place. The flume was constructed by the Montrose Placer Mining company beginning in1888 top 1891.

The hanging flume starts in the San Miguel river, just north of Naturita Colorado. From Naturita drive north on highway 141 just north of the San Miguel Dolores river confluence. Stop at the Hanging Flume Historical Marker turnout. This turnout is a vantage point above the Dolores river and gives you a view of the hanging flume. The flume is mounted to rock wall cliffs above the river.

The flume was 4 foot deep, and 5 foot 4-inches wide. It is estimated to have carried 23,640,000 gallons of water in a twenty-four hour period. The last five miles of the flume clung to the wall of the canyon itself, being suspended to get the proper gradient for the water flow. The flume builders were suspended by ropes down the cliff walls.

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