Finds in Chatfield S.P.

[Daniel Frauenhoff]

I have included some of the C&S related items I have stumbled across while exploring Chatfield State Park. It seems to be largely overlooked by enthusiasts as most of the grade is inundated by the reservoir. The southernmost portion that lies just north of Waterton Canyon, however,  has some interesting sites for the careful observer.



North of the Audubon Center parking lot is the above pictured survey marker. I interpret the acronyms as follows: "Denver Municipal Water Works. Right of Way Conduit 10. 25 (feet?) East of Railroad." I couldn't make out any units on the 25 so I am assuming feet; the marker is very close to where I had predicted the grade to be based on ICC maps. According to the Denver Water News publication of June, 1942, "To modernize the conduit system, the Department authorized Conduit No. 10, a 54-inch concrete pipeline; $200,000 was budgeted for the first unit of 10,000 feet with construction starting north from Kassler. . . . A bond issue of $6,500,000 was voted at the election of May 15, 1923 . . . Major construction work was rushed for two years . . . Conduit No. 10 was completed from Jassey's Hill to Wynetka . . ." The 1918 ICC valuation map shows a 40'' pipeline at this point, before it was presumably replaced by Conduit 10 several years later. I located a similar marker about a mile north when the reservoir was low but neglected to take a picture. The conduit paralleled the railroad grade for several miles.

Several hundred feet further north is the location of this Otto Perry photograph:

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/42498/rec/1

Not of C&S origin, but still of interest, is an old grade on the east side of the South Platte. Just north of the Platte Canyon Reservoir it makes a curious cut through the hillside that is about 50 feet deep and several hundred feet long. I believe this to be part of the grading work that the D&RG completed between Acequia and South Platte in a short-lived effort to push a branch line through Platte Canyon.


Daniel

[Jeff Young]

Cool finds, Daniel.  Thanks for posting.

Cheers,
Jeff.