PROJ00221

• Contract/PO #: FS0017X
• Contractor Name: Ouray, City of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• County: Ouray
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc. (Alpine) conducted cultural resource documentation of
the Upper Skyrocket Diversion Dam on Skyrocket Creek just north of Ouray Colorado. The structure is
on City of Ouray property and is scheduled to be replaced because of deterioration of the original
structure. Replacement of the structure will be done as a joint project between the U.S. Anny Corps of
Engineers and the City of Ouray. Because the project will involve federal funds and federal oversight
several cultural resources laws apply. Federal mandates for the examination of the project area include
the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended), the Archaeological and Historic
Preservation Act of 1974, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Archaeological
Resources Protection Act of 1979 (as amended), the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act, and
the procedures of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (36 CFR 800). These laws are intended
to ensure the identification and preservation of significant cultural resources.

Fieldwork was conducted by Jonathon C. Horn, Principal Investigator, of Alpine on July 21,
1998. The work was conducted under contract to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Intermountain
Planning Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, under the auspices of State of Colorado Permit No. 98-2. Mr.
Horn was accompanied in the field by Lee Merkel, City Administrator for the City of Ouray. Field
notes and photographs resulting from the project are on file at Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc.,
Montrose, Colorado. No artifacts were collected in the course of the project.

2.0 LOCATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SETIING

The project area is on Skyrocket Creek on the north end of the City of Ouray. Skyrocket
Creek is a tributary of the Uncompahgre River that originates on the steep slopes between the Blow-
out and Cascade Mountain east of the Uncompahgre River valley. The diversion structure is on the
south side of Skyrocket Creek at an elevation of 7,970 feet. This is in the Southern Rocky Mountain
physiographic province; geologically the area is in the Pennsylvanian age Hermosa formation com-
prised of arkosic sandstone, conglomerate, shale, and limestone. Vegetation consists of narrowleaf
cottonwood, Engelman spruce, boxelder, and forbs.

3.0 BACKGROUND mSTORY

The hot springs at Ouray have been a popular tourist destination for nearly 100 years and
arc a vital clement in the town's economic livelihood. The site of the present Ouray hot springs pool
was originally a brickyard operated by building contractor, Francis Carney, in the early 1880s. Hot
water seeped into clay pits and were used by local citizens, who placed goldfish in the pools of warm
water. The fish thrived and became quite an attraction. Later, promoters decided to construct a
swimming pool at the location, which reduced the size of the fish pond (Crum n.d.:59, 79). The area
around the pool was made a park in i903 and the pool acquired the name "Radium Springs" in about
1920 (Frazier 1996). Periodic flood events down Skyrocket Creek deposited large quantities of allu-
vial sediments in the vicinity of the hot springs pool, the most devastating of which was a flood on
July 27, 1927, that filled the pool and adjacent fish ponds (Montrose Daily Press, July 28, 1927). In
order to prevent a recurrence of the event, a new channel for Skyrocket Creek was blasted and the
Upper Skyrocket Diversion Dam was installed in 1929. The new channel changed the route of Sky-
rocket Creek from a southwesterly course to one that traveled west, emptying into the Uncompahgre
River north of the hot springs development. Miners from Ouray excavated the new stream course
from solid rock. In order to prevent the creek from draining through its former channel, the original
stream route was blocked by a wooden bank structure (Mussetter Engineering, Inc. 1997). In 1929, a
new, larger pool was opened. On July 25, 1929, Ouray was hit by major rainfall that resulted in dev-
astating flooding of the town and surrounding area. The diversion on Skyrocket Creek functioned as
anticipated and the pool and fish pond were not affected by the flood. However, the Uncompahgre
River changed course in the vicinity of the swimming pool, destroying the adjacent campground and

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