Ute Ulay Dam

The Ute Ulay Mining Complex is located along the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway just south of Lake City, Colorado. The Ute Ulay mining claims were discovered in 1871 and were one of the biggest producers of gold and silver in the San Juan Mountains. The Bureau of Land Management Gunnison Field Office has partnered with Hinsdale County to promote heritage tourism and has stabilized and preserved several structures within the mining complex. Ute Ulay was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. The Ute Ulay Dam was constructed in 1926 to provide hydropower to the mill that processed the gold and silver ores. The poured concrete dam measures 160 feet across and is reinforced with woven rebar. Water was forced into the hydropower plant from a flume originating from the dam. The hydropower plant produced power using three turbine water wheels. The power plant was used until 1951, when the flume collapsed.