A Flume with a View

The system that brought logs from the Chippewa River to Half Moon Lake was a Rube Goldberg kind of project.  It had lots of parts.   Today we'll take a look at what, if anything, remains.  

Bear in mind that there were several sections.  From the Dells Dam a covered log flume ran along the riverbank.  It split into a Y with one section going to a down stream mill and the other becoming an open log canal that ran across Eau Claire's West Side.  The final 1000 feet of it became a covered tunnel that brought the logs into Half Moon Lake.  There they were cut into finished product by mills on the lake proper, or were released via two "Races" at the foot of the lake.  Basically these were canals that ran from the lake to yet more mills on the river downstream from the city center.  We'll take a look at each segment today.

1. The Covered Flume.

Lots of great pictures of this part.  It helps that there were bridges and dams near it.  The flume is shown in the background in many shots.

Water coming off the dam, to the right in this photo, had plenty of power behind it.  Note the run off spouts as well as the covered top.

Here you look across the river at it.  And what's there today?

Certainly in the right spot.  That narrow ledge along the river.  There are a number of sections of broken cement conduit laying about.  Probably this is from the post lumbering era when a desire to keep fresh water going into the lake prompted efforts to lay pipe along the course of the former system.  A dismal failure as we discussed last time.  Oh, I don't suggest you go and visit this section.  It is a steep hillside and the only trails were ones that I would rate "dubious".  Eventually I found this ladder left by helpful fishermen.  It held.

2. The Log Canal

Probably the most dangerous section and one that no doubt was filled in early.  Here's a Sanborn map view of one section.....and the spot today.

The log canal runs along the right side of Mappa Street.  Here's a suspicious looking low area as you look north from the intersection of Price and Mappa.  The canal seems to have been down an embankment from Mappa rather than in the street proper.  I should think that would make it even more dangerous.

If you cross over Price (now actually called Madison) and look south, the canal more or less runs in the area with the parking spaces....and dove underground near the rear tire of the red car.

The course of the tunnel took a turn and passed right under the corner of that new looking building.  I recall peeking into the excavation when it was built.  No obvious tunnel but lots of debris and trash.

3. The Tunnel

Sorry, nothing left.  It exited pretty much right behind the current beach house.  Perhaps the big concrete "thing" in the middle of the beach is related to it somehow.  Don't go exploring.  It actually looks rather like a septic tank.

4. Half Moon Lake

There were two outlets to the lake.  Here's the site of one of them, off the western arm of the lake, today.

If you follow its course by taking a street called Race Street you'll find the end of the line.  It's now called Sherman Creek and empties back into the Chippewa River just past this point.  It is a very pleasant spot and likely a great deal more restful than in the days of log jams and screeching saws.

The other, eastern "race" is still faintly visible.  But exploring it would involve stepping out into a bug filled morass that even I thought was a bad idea.  And remember, I climbed down that rope ladder!