Curecanti National Recreation Area ⓘ

Archeological surveys and excavations have provided a better idea of human use around the Upper Gunnison River Basin, hunting and gathering techniques, diet, and cooking methods. Most sites within the recreation area are concentrated amounts of chipped rocks, known as lithic scatters. Petroglyphs (rock peckings) were also recorded on rocks now underwater at Blue Mesa Reservoir. Most archeological work at Curecanti took place during the late 1970s and early 1980s. National Park Service archeologists conducted surveys and excavations during this time because park buildings and campgrounds were being constructed. According to the Archeological and Historic Preservation Act, 1974 (P.L. 93-291) , federal agencies are required to preserve historic and archeological objects and materials that would otherwise be lost or destroyed as the result of projects, licensed activities, or programs. Archeologists have uncovered evidence of prehistoric hunting and gathering camps around present day Curecanti. These camps were on open benches above the river from which large and small game could be spotted. In places where large amounts of lithics (stone points and tools) were found, archeologists dug deeper to discover stone-lined hearths with burned remains of wood, animals, and plants. Charcoal from these hearths was used for dating through an extensive radiocarbon dating process. Archeologists then compare these radiocarbon dates with spear point, stone tool, and/or arrowhead styles found at the same site, to verify when the camp was occupied. Samples of animal and plant remains were also analyzed to see how the environment changed over the last 10,000 years. Today around 425 sites and isolated finds are recorded within Curecanti National Recreation Area. More than 5,000 acres of the 42,000 acres of the recreation area are conserved as the Curecanti Archeological District and recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

If you find any kind of evidence of earlier people, such as pottery pieces, arrowheads, or other historic items, look but do not touch . Under the Code of Federal Regulations , no person may excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface, or attempt to excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface any archaeological resource located on public lands or Indian lands unless such activity is pursuant to a permit issued the law's specific determinations. These regulations are to protect the common history of our nation.

The first 20 miles of track building west of Gunnison was fairly easy. As the line was surveyed and graded, hundreds of mostly Italian and Irish immigrant workers began to lay track. As a result, "terminal cities" were created along the way. The new settlements of Kezar, Cebolla, and Soap Creek (later changed to Sapinero) began with many saloons. These rail stations were later buried under the waters of Blue Mesa Reservoir. At the junction of Lake Fork and the Gunnison River, the D&RGW officials had a decision to make between building up and over the mesas or through Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It was decided that a route along the river would be cheaper and have a better chance of remaining snow free throughout the winters. Mountain winters. This route would prove hazardous for future railroad employees and passengers.

Construction of 15 miles of railroad from Sapinero to Cimarron continued during the winter of 1881-82. Carving a railroad bed from the steep, rugged and extremely hard rock made for some of the most difficult and hazardous work. While blasting rock just west of Sapinero (near present-day Blue Mesa Dam), a crew was using an unfamiliar explosive called nitroglycerine. The nitroglycerine accidentally detonated and the foreman, Sweeny, was blown into the stream and killed. An African-American worker on the grading crew had his head, left shoulder and side so mangled, he died within an hour. Once the grade was finished, immigrant workers laid track through the canyon and up the Cimarron River to the town site of Cimarron. While working in the canyon the men often used rail cars as a combination mess hall, sleeping quarters, and social club. The final cost of building the narrow gauge railroad through Black Canyon was $165,000 a mile.

The editor of the Gunnison Review-Press was on the first train through the canyon in August 1882. He commented it was "the largest and most rugged canon in the world traversed by the iron horse." Thousands of passengers were thrilled by the ride. The ride was beautiful, but also frightening for the train engineers. Avalanches and rock falls were common during winter and the train crew never knew if or when their train would be swept into the Gunnison River. Despite the dangers and constant repair work, the Denver and Rio Grande made this route the cornerstone of its "Scenic Line of the World" passenger promotions. The Curecanti Needle is featured on its emblem. At the western end of the route through the Black Canyon was Cimarron. During railroad construction, Cimarron was a tent city. It soon became a little town whose livelihood and schedule revolved around the trains. Train relief crews, the roundhouse with helper engines, a restaurant, and Black Canyon Hotel were found here. After mining decreased in the Gunnison region, stockmen continue to gather at Cimarron to ship their cattle and sheep to market via the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.

The increase in standard gauge routes through the Rocky Mountains and automobile use, as well as decreased mining activity, led to the gradual demise of the narrow gauge railroads in the early 1900s. The D&RGW ran regularly, although decreasing freight and passenger service through Black Canyon until 1940. Passenger traffic was then diverted north to the standard gauge track over Tennessee Pass or through the Moffat Tunnel. Freight trains continued until 1949 when the line from Gunnison to Montrose was finally abandoned and the rails torn up. The route through the canyon, including its nine bridges, became a public road, used primarily by fishermen until construction of the Blue Mesa Dam in the early 1960s. Most of the old railroad bed is now submerged beneath the waters of Morrow Point Reservoir. A short section of the old railroad bed is accessible from the Pine Creek Trail . Exhibits on the railroad are at Cimarron.

In 1853, explorer John W. Gunnison's party passed through the area, searching for a possible transcontinental railroad route. The explorers were discouraged by their demanding traverse of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River canyon to the east. The expedition traveled over Blue Mesa and eventually made their way west, crossing Cimarron Creek, and climbing over Cerro Summit. Captain Gunnison proclaimed that this rugged country was totally unsuitable for a railroad and these sentiments were echoed by later explorers. As valuable mineral deposits were discovered on Colorado's western slope, the need for better transportation routes was recognized. Otto Mears, a famous road builder known as the "Pathfinder of the San Juans," constructed the Lake Fork and Ouray Toll Road. A branch of this road ran from the confluence of Cimarron Creek and the Little Cimarron River to a local cattle outfit, Cline's Ranch. Captain W. M. Cline owned about 480 acres in the vicinity of present-day Cimarron. A friend of Chief Ouray of the Utes, Cline settled here in the 1870s, raising grain and cattle. Cline was joined in the livestock business by two other firms whose herd totaled approximately 5,400 head of cattle. The area eventually became popular for sheep-raising as well.

As the mining boom declined, ranching took on greater significance in Cimarron. Both sheep and cattle were run in the open lands of the Cimarron Valley and surrounding hills. Cimarron became a major livestock shipping center, with corrals covering over 7,500 square feet (697 square meters) next to the railroad siding. Local ranchers would drive their stock to Cimarron and time their arrival to allow immediate loading of animals; there were no feeding facilities at the corrals here. Shipment of livestock was concentrated in the spring and fall. Animals were move either to market, usually Kansas City, or a winter range near Grand Junction or in Utah. As technology quickly changed, the narrow gauge railroad became less used. Improved highways and large trucks gradually replaced the railroad, and the corrals and rail yards of Cimarron grew empty. Passenger service on the D&RG through Black Canyon ended in 1936. In 1949, the last scenic excursion train ran from Gunnison to Cimarron. Shortly after, the rails, ties, and corrals were removed. The depot, roundhouse, saloons, ice plant, and individual homes have also disappeared from the old Cimarron townsite.

The National Park Service maintains a campground and picnic area where the railroad town of Cimarron once existed. An outdoor exhibit with loading corrals and stock cars helps visitors understand the connection between the railroad, Cimarron’s ranching community, and Colorado’s western slope.

Plans to divert water from the Black Canyon’s more dependable Gunnison River were visionary. Beginning in 1894, surveys eventually revealed locations for both ends of a tunnel (in the canyon and the valley), with the intent of meeting in the middle. A road was scraped into the canyon slopes, descending to the river, and the town of East Portal (also known as River Portal) was born.

FOR HOME AND PROSPERITY Reclamation, the work of bringing water to land to grow crops, had been practiced in the American Southwest for centuries before settlers arrived. Attempts to engage the federal government into the role of reclamation had been stymied for years, until Theodore Roosevelt, an avid outdoorsman, became president in 1901. He threw his support behind the National Reclamation Act of 1902. Congressman John C. Bell, from nearby Montrose, was an early proponent, and cosponsored the bill which also authorized the Gunnison Tunnel. Bell vigorously argued for its passage on the floor of the House of Representatives. Their words echo across generations for commitment to home and family.

The act charged Chief Engineer of the new Bureau of Reclamation, Frederick Newell, to proceed with building five projects: 1) Milk River in Montana, 2) Newlands or Truckee, Nevada, 3) North Platte, Wyoming, 4) the Salt River Project in Arizona, and 5) the Uncompahgre Project in western Colorado, whose best-known feature was the Gunnison Tunnel. Newell was among Roosevelt’s closest advisors on conservation.

ARCHITECTS OF COMMUNITY Many engineers and surveyors participated in planning the tunnel, but three were at the forefront. Their education and experiences combined to achieve success from life-threatening challenges and project-halting troubles. Their work led to the kind of community envisioned by leaders like John Bell and Theodore Roosevelt.

Abraham Lincoln Fellows first supervised water engineering on the Montezuma Project near Cortez, Colorado. Contacts he made after graduation from Yale University brought him west where he was thrilled to take on field surveys. His commitment to both farmers and Roosevelt’s conservation principles provided perseverance needed to bring the project to life.

The jovial Ira McConnell explored the depths of the canyon. He completed surveys that pinpointed the tunnel headings and towns of East Portal in the canyon, and Lujane (luh-WAH-nah) on the valley side of the tunnel. He guided tunnel construction through the most difficult of problems.

A graduate of Cornell University, Herbert Daniels was the superintendent of the town of East Portal. Schooled in engineering, his steady hand on day-to-day matters kept construction on schedule, the tunnel on a straight course, and the town well supplied.

CONNECTING THE DOTS The idea of digging a tunnel from two sides of a mountain and meeting in the middle was not new, but survey measurements had to be precise. Using geometry, a series of polygons or shapes were mapped out from the canyon floor, up to the rim, across Vernal Mesa and out to the Uncompahgre Valley. Maintaining rigid lines and angles across the tortuous terrain was arduous.

Building the Road A road was blasted into the cliffs, and twisted its way down to the river. At grades up to 32%, the road tortured teamsters who drove supplies, including three 11,600 pound boilers for the power plant, to the emerging town at the canyon bottom.

A writer for the Montrose Press recorded, “Every vehicle that goes to the River Portal is provided with an iron “shoe” that fastens on the back wheel and secured by a chain... With the wheel securely fastened...one’s hair stands on end as the horses start on a trot... so we shut our eyes, grapple the lines as tightly as possible, and trust to Providence that the vehicle will remain on the grade until a level spot is struck...”

While digging continued on the tunnel, a massive effort was made to extend a system of ditches to carry the water to individual farm fields. The largest of these, the South Canal, would carry water from the tunnel to the Uncompahgre River.

Workers used electric-powered trains to lug the carts full of debris out after blasting. Candles and lanterns were first used to light the work, but electric lights strung along lines improved visibility in the tunnel.

1909: CULMINATION Workers digging from both ends met in the middle in July. President William Taft was vacationing in the west, and an invitation to dedicate the tunnel was made. A gala event with a parade, speeches, music, and dining supported the dedication on September 23, 1909. Taft pressed a button at West Portal, laborers opened a makeshift gate, and water flowed into the valley.

Memorial arches soared more than two stories high on Main Street in Montrose, welcoming people from around the country.

Those attending the event sent postcards marking the dedication. Commemorative pins were proudly displayed in Montrose that fall.

1922: CONTINUING THE LEGACY Although the tunnel was dedicated in 1909, much work remained. A diversion dam, concrete lining of the tunnel, and finishing the ditch system were not completed until 1922. Additions have been made over the years.

Water availability is a long-term issue that affects not only the immediate region around Curecanti National Recreation Area, but areas across the American Southwest. Ten National Park Service (NPS) units, including Curecanti, are in the Colorado River Basin. The Colorado River Basin is divided into an Upper Basin (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and Lower Basin (Arizona, Nevada, and California).

The Colorado River Basin is a critical landscape element that affects ecosystems and human populations. In 1922, the seven Upper Basin and Lower Basin states reached an agreement to divide the Colorado River waters in the Colorado River Compact. Dams, power plants, and other water developments along the Colorado River and major tributaries are the result of this compact.

The Colorado River Storage Project Act, which had been envisioned decades before, was authorized by Congress on April 11, 1956. It shaped the development and management of water in the Upper Basin. Storage units in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona were planned and constructed (see map below). The act also authorized projects for irrigation, reclamation, flood control, and storing water for beneficial use. Additionally, hydroelectric power would be created as a result.

Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton approved Blue Mesa and Morrow Point dams and powerplants in 1959. Crystal Dam approval was not until 1962, since the construction design had not been completed. The authorizing act for the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit (formerly the Curecanti Unit) stated everything needed to be built above the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument (now park) boundary and below 7,520 ft (2,292 m) above sea level.

The proposed size of Blue Mesa Reservoir was met with opposition from Gunnison County residents. In response, the Bureau of Reclamation reduced the maximum size of the reservoir to its present-day 900,000-acre feet. Ultimately, businesses and towns along the Gunnison River would be lost.

Blue Mesa Dam construction, Morrow Point Dam construction, and U.S. Highway 50 and CO-149 relocation, all begin in 1961. Land acquisition arrangements and purchases for Blue Mesa Reservoir began in 1961.

U.S. Highway 50 and Colorado Highway 149 relocation projects (present-day locations) were completed in 1964. Construction of Blue Mesa Dam was officially completed in 1966. Blue Mesa Powerplant was completed in 1968. The reservoir began filling in 1966. The towns of Iola and Cebolla were flooded, as well as many ranches and angler resorts along the Gunnison River. Sapinero was also inundated by reservoir waters, and the town was moved uphill on the south side of the reservoir. Each basin of Blue Mesa Reservoir is named after the displaced communities.

Morrow Point Dam construction completed in October 1968. Work on the powerplant was finished in 1971. Unlike Blue Mesa Dam, Morrow Point Dam also had visitor facilities built for the public. Miscellaneous projects, including the visitor center, continued until completion in 1972.

Crystal Dam construction began in 1964. Access road construction from East Portal begin in 1965. Although the road and damsite drilling were completed in 1966, there was a hiatus on work until 1971. The dam was completed a year behind schedule in 1976. Powerplant construction occurred from 1977 to 1978.

Under authority of Section 8 of the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956, the Secretary of the Interior is directed to "investigate, plan, construct, operate, and maintain public recreational facilities on lands withdrawn or acquired for the project's purposes, and to provide for appropriate public use and enjoyment of the same and of the water surface created by the project." In 1958, the NPS was approved by the Secretary of the Interior to be designated as the agency responsible for carrying out the Department of Interior's obligations under Section 8. These obligations included carrying out the operation and maintenance of public recreation facilities, public use and enjoyment, and natural and cultural resource protection. Two of the four major units in the Colorado River Storage Project are administered by the National Park Service - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Utah and Arizona) and Curecanti National Recreation Area. Basic recreation developments at Curecanti were prepared in 1965 and estimated to cost $4 million. This work included roads, boat ramps, campgrounds, utility systems, and administrative buildings. Elk Creek Visitor Center, designed by Cecil Doty, was also constructed during this time through "Mission 66" infrastructure projects.

A Congressional bill was passed on October 3, 1980, to rename the Curecanti Unit to Wayne N. Aspinall Unit. A dedication ceremony was held in July 1981. Aspinall, a Congressional representative from Colorado, was influential in land and water policies from the 1950s to 1970s. He and other western representatives sponsored the bill for the Colorado River Storage Project.

Although tours are not currently available at any of the dams, informational panels are found at various pulloffs along U.S. Highway 50 and at Morrow Point Dam overlook parking area.

Human occupation of this area dates back to at least 10,000 years ago. Archeologists have uncovered evidence of prehistoric hunting and gathering camps around present day Curecanti. Peoples from traditionally associated tribes moved seasonally between the mountains and present day Montrose and Grand Junction. They were attracted here by the abundance of game in the dry hills and river valleys, and by the vegetation in the canyons and on the mesas.

Fur traders and miners blazed the northern branch of the Old Spanish Trail from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. This trail first linked the Utes to Anglo and Spanish commerce. As mining operations sprung up in the mountains of Gunnison County, homesteaders built farms and ranches along the Gunnison River. Ranching remains part of the county's livelihood today.

Captain John W. Gunnison and his Pacific Railroad party , who surveyed the area in 1853, discouraged building a railroad due to difficult terrain. Despite this and other expeditions reports, a narrow-gauge railroad was built and transported ore, coal, cattle and other goods through the Curecanti area by 1882. Passengers also took a scenic ride on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , bearing the Curecanti Needle on its logo. The railroad spurred development of small towns such as Iola, Cebolla, Sapinero and Cimarron . The railroad operated from 1882 to 1949. Small communities continued to thrive even after its heyday. People were drawn to the hunting and fishing opportunities and stayed at hotels.

The region's farmers and ranchers soon coveted the Gunnison River's waters for their crops and livestock. The Gunnison Tunnel , a six mile long irrigation tunnel, was cut through a mesa to deliver water to the Uncompagre Valley.

In 1965, Blue Mesa Dam was completed as part of the Wayne N. Aspinall Storage Unit . Morrow Point and Crystal dams followed in 1967 and 1976. The dams and subsequent reservoirs were created primarily to provide water storage to the Upper Colorado River Basin states of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah. Curecanti National Recreation Area was established in 1965 to manage the land on and around the Aspinall Unit.

At the mouth of Cimarron Creek, just upstream from its confluence with the Gunnison River, stands a reminder of the railroad days. Recently restored locomotive #278, its coal tender, a boxcar, and caboose stand atop the last remaining railroad trestle along the Black Canyon of the Gunnison route. This exhibit is an excellent example of rolling stock railroad cars used on this branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) in its heyday.

The locomotive and the other cars have been restored to look as they would have in 1940. Locomotive #278 was retired by the D&RG in 1952, and given to the city of Montrose as a gift. In 1973, it was leased (along with the tender and caboose) to the National Park Service for 20 years.

In 1974 they were loaded aboard a Bureau of Reclamation "lowboy" for the move from Montrose to Cimarron Canyon. At that time, the western end of the trestle was still covered with earth from fill over a culvert, and it was possible for the "lowboy" to back up to that end and the locomotive and cars to be moved directly onto the trestle.

In 1976, the trestle was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, due to its significance as the last remaining structure representing the history of the narrow gauge railroad in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The lease of the locomotive, tender, and caboose was renegotiated in 1989 and extended to 99 years.

The "steel deck span" bridge was constructed in 1895, replacing the original wooden Howe truss design trestle (circa 1882). The "new" bridge incorporated a metal Pratt truss design, and three girder sections brought from other locations on the Denver & Rio Grande line. The original stone abutments (no longer visible) and piers date back to the era of the wooden trestle. The west abutment was cut into solid rock, while the east one and the three piers were constructed of stone masonry. As originally designed and constructed, the truss bridge itself was 288 feet in length. Telegraph lines (reconstructed) can be seen extending from the ties on the south side of the trestle. For many years it was fairly common to see trestles used in this manner for stringing telegraph lines along railroad routes.

Locomotive #278 (also known as Engine 278) was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1882. It was constructed as a C16 mainline freight and helper engine. Helper engines were used to assist trains up steep grades. The "C" refers to a consolidated engine type with a "2-8-0" wheel configuration. The numbers "2-8-0" refer to the number and type of wheels. In this case there are 2 "truck-" or "leading-wheels" in the very front of the engine, followed by 8 "driving-wheels" in the middle, and no "trailing-wheels". The "16" refers to the maximum tractive effort of the engine, which is the highest force the train can exert. This engine was used on this part of the D&RGW's main line, on the Crested Butte Branch, and in the railyards of Gunnison for over 70 years. This locomotive went through several changes in appearance as it was influenced by various railroad standards and safety regulations set forth by the Interstate Commerce Commission.

The coal tender is the car that carried water and coal for the locomotive. The coal tender on the exhibit replaced the original around 1935. It is off another engine and was shortened when it was attached to Engine 278. It was not uncommon for tenders to be interchanged between locomotives.

The caboose was built in 1886 and used on this run of the Denver and Rio Grande Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Four bridges once stood at the confluence of the main branch and the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. Two railroad bridges were built in 1889 on the railroad spur along the Lake Fork. This branch went south from Sapinero and headed towards Lake City. This railroad spur transported minerals and ran from 1889 to 1933. The road to Curecanti's Gateview Campground is the former railbed.

In 1915, the Rainbow Route bridge was built for automobiles. This road had an incredibly steep grade of 20 percent, more than the steep East Portal Road to the canyon bottom. In 1924, a metal High Bridge was built as an improved passage for vehicles. Beyond these bridges, the D&RGW continued into Black Canyon of the Gunnison . It crossed the river multiple times before exiting at Cimarron . After the railroad service ended in 1949 and the rails were removed, cars were able to drive the former railbeds until the flooding of the canyon by Morrow Point Reservoir.

All bridges were eventually removed except for High Bridge. It was submerged after the construction of Blue Mesa Dam and is still deep under Blue Mesa Reservoir. Today, vehicles travel on U.S. Highway 50 and cross the canyon on Colorado Highway 92 over Blue Mesa Dam.

Engine 278 was built for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1882 to pull trains on the narrow-gauge railroad lines that ran from Crested Butte to Gunnison and Montrose. The engine was “retired” in 1952 and given to the City of Montrose. The Pratt Truss Bridge that sits over the river was built in 1895 to replace the original wooden trestle. After 70 years of operation and almost 60 years on exhibit, the train at Cimarron needed restoration and repairs due to weathering, rust, and rot. Engine 278, its coal tender, boxcar and caboose were removed from the truss bridge in July 2010 for restoration. Restoration and repairs were completed on the train cars in 2012. Bridge inspection was conducted in 2012 and 2013. Repairs and painting were completed in 2014. The train cars were returned to the truss bridge in 2018. By 2025, weathering, rockfall, and rot had again taken their toll on the train atop the truss bridge. The cars were removed from the bridge and placed in the temporary storage yard in fall 2025 in preparation for another round of restoration.

The set of rail cars have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. This listing provides recognition of the significance of the resources, and opens funding avenues for preservation actions.

Historic preservation staff at the National Park Service regional office in Lakewood, Colorado prepared the nominations. They worked closely with staffs from Curecanti National Recreation Area, the City of Montrose, the Colorado State Historical Society, the Colorado Railroad Museum, and railcar manufacturers to prepare the nominations.

On January 21, 2011, Engine 278 was loaded on a flatbed trailer and transported to Palisade. Mammoth Locomotive Works in Palisade, CO will complete the restoration of the locomotive.

Engine 278 was disassembled. It produced multiple pallets of small parts, and several long shelves of tubes and piping. Paint and rust from the metal parts was removed.

The cab of the engine car was removed basically intact, with only a few small pieces detached to facilitate removal. Sound portions of the cab were salvaged. The analysis of the cab's wood indicated the cab is constructed or a combination of ash, oak and fir woods. Work began on the tender, with the tank and coal bin being separated from the undercarriage. Rotted wood components of the tender frame were replaced with the same types of wood to maintain the historic character of the tender.

A new engine house for the locomotive is built since the old one had rotted wood. The tender "box" was lifted off the frame and wheel assembly. It revealed rotted beams that needed replacement.

The restoration of the D&RGW locomotive #278 continues. Most of the locomotives metal parts, including the boiler, are treated and painted. A few major components, such as the smoke stack, remain to be processed. The restoration of the locomotive cab is complete except for painting. Reassembly of the locomotive has begun and will take a few months.

After disassembly of the tender, the wooden platform (sills and end beams) will be replaced. The contractor obtained appropriate replacement beams to keep the restoration true to the D&RGW methods and techniques. Contract is extended another 180 days from the original 270 days. This allowed for flexibility with return and set up due to weather, as well as additional repairs needed. Cimarron must be clear and dry to reduce any risk of transport damage. Once delivered, cars are stored at the temporary storage yard until all four cars are restored.

The second phase of the Cimarron Train Restoration Project began. This phase determined the condition of the bridge across the Cimarron River where the locomotive and related cars were displayed. A detailed inspection of the bridge was made, and every crack, mend, missing rivet and twisted piece of metal was thoroughly documented in summer of 2012. The information was used by an engineering firm to determine if any of these factors affected the ability of the bridge to safely hold the train for display. Any factors that presented a risk were scheduled for repair.

A coatings specialist from the Bureau of Reclamation inspected the bridge in fall of 2013 and documented areas of rust and the degree that the paint had deteriorated. His report made several recommendations for repainting the bridge. The bridge was repaired and painted in summer of 2014.

Engine 278, its coal tender, a boxcar, and caboose were returned to the truss bridge in Cimarron in fall of 2018.

The NPS is responsible for more than just recreation management in, on, and around the reservoirs. Under section 8 of the Colorado River Storage Project Act (70 Stat.105), the park is directed to conserve the scenery, natural objects and features, and wildlife across more than 43,000 acres (17401 hectares).

Human manipulation and alteration of this landscape changed the natural processes and ecosystems traditionally here. Although some species have adapted, others ceased to exist in the area. The reservoirs support mostly nonnative fish communities due to habitat alteration and stocking. Surrounding plant and animal habitats experience competition from exotic species, grazing, hydrologic activity, and climate change.

Through change, one can see resilience of the landscape. There remains an abundance of natural beauty through the existing flora and fauna, scenic vistas, tributaries, night skies, and unique geologic formations.

Birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians make their home in Curecanti. Some stay all year while others migrate.

Curecanti hosts riparian habitats, steep canyons, and areas of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and aspen.

Slight differences to an environment can have lasting effects. Monitoring these changes is critical to maintaining ecosystems.

Curecanti has more than 750 species of vascular plants. The park has vegetation communities that are both representative of the adjacent Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Gunnison Valley. The park lies within the Dry Domain (climate classification) and supports montane (mountain), temperate, and semi-desert vegetation. Outside of the steep Black Canyon of the Gunnison areas, Curecanti is characterized by semi-arid shrublands of sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and Gambel oak. The Gunnison Basin sagebrush ecosystem is one of the largest remaining in the country. Douglas-fir, Colorado blue spruce, and other shrubs grow on the north facing canyon slopes surrounding Morrow Point and Crystal reservoirs. The drier, warmer south-facing slopes host big sagebrush and juniper communities. The canyon rims are a mix of pinyon-juniper woodlands, quaking aspen, and other conifers. Riparian vegetation dominates along the Gunnison River and 53 miles (85 km) of tributaries. Cottonwood, willow, box elder, and some conifers occur along the canyon bottoms and riverbanks. The distribution of vegetation is driven by elevation, type of soil, geology, amount of sunlight, availability of water, and fire.

Deciduous trees are prevalent in riparian areas. Conifers are common on canyon rims and north-facing slopes. Shrublands exists throughout.

The sagebrush landscape is critical habitat for hundreds of plants and animals, including the threatened Gunnison sage-grouse.

Invasive species can disrupt native ecosystems, displace native plants, and alter ecosystem functions.

Mountain Bluebirds ( Sialia currucoides) share canyon rim habitat with owls but are daytime eaters of insects. Males have bright blue bodies, while females have gray bodies with blue wings. Mountain Bluebirds are migratory, not year-round residents here. These birds nest in trees or artificial nest boxes. They are most often seen in spring and early summer when nesting and rearing their young. Their diet consists of insects caught either from perches or flycatching. Mountain bluebirds can be defensive and competitive with other bird species over nest sites.

Peregrine Falcons ( Falco peregrinus) nest on ledges on canyon walls. These falcons have a blue-gray back and a grey or tan underside. Their wingspan can reach up to 3.5 feet (1.1 m) across. Peregrine Falcons prey on flying birds, swooping down on them as fast as 200 mph. Their balled-up claws can shatter prey’s bones. Falcons mostly feed on aerial-feeding swifts and swallows but also on jays and an occasional dove. Raptor closures are in effect from March 15 to July 15 to protect nesting peregrine falcons. Climbers should check climbing closures before recreating.