02/14/2016
Who remembers the canyon before Blue Mesa?
A lake runs through it....this is what things looked like before Blue Mesa Reservoir was constructed. This 1918 view shows the "Gunnison River Road" west of Gunnison, not far from where SH 149 turns off south towards Lake City. Barely visible in this photo, a railroad line is located on the opposite side of the river. Blue Mesa Dam was completed 50 years ago (1965); prior to that travelers drove the paved U.S. 50 through the canyon along the same grade. The highway was relocated to much higher ground in preparation for the filling of the reservoir, Colorado's largest at 20 miles in length and nearly 100 miles of shoreline. Photo from Colorado Department of Transportation Archives, Denver.