Trout Lake is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

located in southeast San Miguel County,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

, in

Uncompahgre National Forest Uncompahgre National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 955,229 acres (1,492.55 sq mi, or 3,865.68 km2) in (in descending order of land area) parts of Montrose County, Colorado, Montrose, Mesa County, Colorado, Mesa, San Miguel Count ...

. Trout Lake is a 15-minute drive from

Ophir Ophir (; ) is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon received a shipment from Ophir every three years (1 Kings 10:22) which consisted of gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks. ...

via

Colorado State Highway 145 State Highway 145 (SH 145) is a state highway in western Colorado. It runs for between U.S. Route 160 (US 160) in Cortez and SH 141 near Naturita. Route description The route begins in the south at its intersection with US ...

and a 30-minute drive from Telluride.

History

Trout Lake was originally explored by American

fur Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...

trappers Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithic ...

and pioneers, who often used the lake as a stopping point for their expeditions. The population of Trout Lake grew after the construction of the

Rio Grande Southern Railroad The Rio Grande Southern Railroad (reporting mark RGS, also referred to as "The Southern") was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge railroad which ran in the southwestern region of the US state of Colorado, from the towns of Durango to Ridgway, ...

and the nearby

Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant The Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, constructed in 1890 near Ophir, Colorado, was one of the first (if not the first) commercial system to produce and transmit alternating current (AC) electricity for industrial use and one of the first AC hy ...

in the 1890s.

Early History

While it is unknown if

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, Mexican, or Native American explorers reached Trout Lake previously, the first record of Trout Lake was taken by an American fur trapping expedition. In the spring of 1831, the St. Louis Fur Company employed a party of 60 men under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

William G Walton to trap beavers and other fur-bearing animals along the headwaters of the San Juan River. The party spent the summer of 1833 in the valley of the Rio Dolores and at Trout Lake before continuing their journey northward. On June 14, 1882, the first post office in Trout Lake was established. At the time it was described as "a post office, with a small lake near it" and "a miner's camp of about a score in number". Between 1875 and 1885, the area around Trout Lake was often visited by prospectors, but after 10 years of searching, no mines were found near Trout Lake and the post office closed. In the 1885 Colorado Census, Trout Lake was recorded as having a population of 40. The post office was reopened between 1890 and 1892 with the construction of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad in 1891. On June 13, 1905, Trout Lake became a part of the newly created Montezuma Forest Reserve with the signing of Proclamation 575 by

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. The Montezuma Forest Reserve became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1947, Montezuma National Forest as split between

San Juan National Forest The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres (2,935.7 sq mi, or 7,603.42 km²) in western Colorado. The forest occupies land in Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezu ...

and

, with Trout Lake becoming part of Uncompahgre National Forest. The 1910 Census recorded Trout Lake as having a population of 62.

Trout Lake Dam

Trout Lake is a natural lake but was expanded in the 1894 with the construction of the Trout Lake Dam by Telluride Power Co. The purpose of the dam was to create additional reserves for the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant 3.25 miles downstream. Trout Lake still supplies the Ames Hydroelectric Plant via a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

-encased outlet pipe that transports water from the Trout Lake Dam's

Penstock A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydro turbines and sewerage systems. The term is inherited from the earlier technology of mill ponds and watermills. H ...

to the Ames Hydroelectric Plant.

1909 Flood

On September 5, 1909, heavy rains and flooding caused the failure of the Trout Lake and Middle Dams. A defect in the Middle Dam's outlet, which permitted water to wash away the

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debri ...

under the dam, likely contributed to the flood. The collapse of the dams released approximately 2,000

Acre-feet The acre-foot is a non- SI unit of volume equal to about commonly used in the United States in reference to large-scale water resources, such as reservoirs, aqueducts, canals, sewer flow capacity, irrigation water, and river flows. An acre-f ...

of water downstream, killing

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

, destroying miles of

railroad track A railway track (British English and UIC terminology) or railroad track (American English), also known as permanent way or simply track, is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties (sleepers, ...

, and flooding the nearby towns of Placerville, Sawpit, and Newmire. The Ames Hydroelectric plant remained mostly unharmed. While no one died in the flood, the damage to property was estimated to be $200,000 (approximately $ today). In 1910, the dam was rebuilt with soil and rock instead of the timber used in the previous dam. In 1954, the dam's

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure th ...

was rebuilt to prevent flooding in Trout Lake. The spillway included two steel siphons that discharge water 200 feet downstream from the dam into Lake Fork. Trout_Lake_Railroad_Trestle

Rio Grande Southern Railroad

Starting in 1891, Trout Lake was used as a watering station for the Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS), which used the water from the lake to fill its steam engines. There were 15 similar stations used by the RGS, all of which were serviced by a large force of men called "water service" who maintained the water tanks. While the railroad is no longer in operation, the 50,000 gallon wood watering tank (one of only two left) and a nearby railroad trestle remain. After the railroad was abandoned in 1952 the trestle continued to be used as an automobile

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

for several years until a detour was built around it. The trestle was added to the

Colorado State Register of Historic Properties The Colorado State Register of Historic Properties, administered by the History Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, is a listing of significant historic resources. History Colorado maintains a list of the Colorado State Regis ...

on May 14, 1997. The trestle was stabilized in 2004 with grant funds from the Colorado Historical Fund, Intermodel Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, San Miguel County, and

US Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

Recreation

Trout Lake had become a popular tourist attraction as early as 1920, especially for fishing. Today, the area around the lake features multiple hiking trails, which in the winter are groomed by the Telluride Nordic Association to be used for cross-country skiing. The lake is also used for boating and fishing.

Gallery

File:Sheep Mountain, Trout Lake.jpg, Trout Lake and Sheep Mountain File:Trout Lake Train.jpg, alt=Train passing over bridge, Historic photo of a

Rio Grande Southern The Rio Grande Southern Railroad (reporting mark RGS, also referred to as "The Southern") was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge railroad which ran in the southwestern region of the US state of Colorado, from the towns of Durango to Ridgway, ...

train passing over the Trout Lake Trestle during winter (date unknown) File:Historical Trout Lake.jpg, alt=Trout Lake, A historical photo of Trout Lake taken between 1898 and 1905 File:Trout lake co.jpg, alt=Trout Lake and mountains in background, Looking east towards trout lake in August 2011 File:Trout Lake 1939.jpg, alt=Lake with mountains in background, A photo of Trout Lake with the

San Juan Mountains The San Juan Mountains is a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The area is highly mineralized (the Colorado Mineral Belt) and figured in the gold and silver mining industry ...

in the background, taken in 1939 or earlier

Notes

* Despite the name, Lake Fork is a river, not a lake.

References

{{reflist Lakes of Colorado Tourist attractions in San Miguel County, Colorado Bodies of water of San Miguel County, Colorado