Beaver River's East Fork Pipeline

June 18, 2017

What do these eight names have in common? B. Orton, P. Black, G. Solberg, A. Bradshaw, S. Lopshire, C. Mackelprang, R. Anderson, and W. Wilding.  These folks have all been to a secret waterfall in Beaver Canyon that is just 1.5 mile walk from highway 153.  These names were drawn in the fresh concrete on September 9th, 2008 when the East Fork’s hydroelectric pipeline was revamped.  The way the Beaver river and its tributaries are harnessed for generating electricity is very impressive.  You would not believe some of the steep and rocky terrain that these pipelines cross and I can’t imagine the hard work and ingenuity it took to install them. The Telluride Power Plant gets its water from several sources; the main line coming from the Merchant Valley dam, then the East Fork of the Beaver River joins in, and the South Fork of the Beaver River is captured about a mile upstream from Cys Cache.  I’ve seen a small pipeline along the ATV trail in Dry Hollow, but it’s condition suggests it is an abandoned line.  As you hike along these structures, I’m sure there is a story behind every length of pipe, each fitting, each valve, and concrete thrust block and every water intake structure.  You can see many old fashion pipe lengths that were fabricated by riveting spiral wrapped sheet metal.  These have been replaced by welded together lengths that have a rubber coating to cushion the steel from rocks wearing through and to combat corrosion.   Because of Beaver Canyon’s hydroelectric system, we have several fun and interesting roads to hike on.  This weeks hike takes us to the confluence of the Beaver River below Merchant Valley and the East Fork of the Beaver River, also known as Iant Creek.  At mm 14 heading up Beaver Canyon if you look to the right, you will see a fairly large drainage coming in from the Southeast.  This Drainage begins clear up at Betenson Flat(Iant Creek) and also is the water coming out of LeBaron Reservoir(LeBaron Creek) and picks up Straight Creek too.  

It will take you about an hour to reach this cool little spot where there are many small plunge pools and waterfalls cascading around and through huge boulders.  The end of this trail is the diversion dam for the 12” pipeline where a new concrete wall, dam panels, gate valve, and strainer were installed 9/9/2008.  I was told the concrete was poured into the forms by helicopter!  The higher up you can get water into a pipeline, the more electrical generating power it has, and this is about as high up this drainage you can feasibly get because this canyon gets tight,steep, and rocky.  Park your car at mm 13 up highway 153 and follow the service road down to the river.  Use good judgement and carefully cross the river to see a locked gate heading uphill. If you want to try to keep your feet dry, there is a log bridge 50’ upstream from the service road ford.  At the top of the hill across the river the road forks and you stay to the left.  The road heads east from here and you will shortly pick up the 32” pipeline.  Follow the road and pipe until you see an excavated hole 5 feet deep, exposing a pipe coupler complete with cable tensioners and then follow the road to the right into the forest.  I love this section because it is dark, curvy and mysterious winding through large boulders and you are close to the end.  As you drop down and encounter the East Fork of Beaver River, you take a right and head steeply upstream a short distance to the Secret Waterfall at the intake structure.  Take a towel because on a hot day you may be tempted to find the “Cave Shower” and cool off.  Get off the couch this summer and get “Into the Tushars!”