Overview

Hype:

This small pond below the Duchesne River diversion and adjacent to the East Portal dispersed camping area can be a fun place for kids to paddle around on kayaks. However, when the diversion is sending water down the Duchesne Tunnel, the pond has very little water in it.

The Duchesne Diversion and Tunnel were built to convey water rights in the Duchesne River and Little Deer Creek to the Provo River for storage in Deer Creek Reservoir. The dam was constructed in 1952. 

The Duchesne Tunnel is one of the distinctive features of the Provo River Project. The tunnel is a 10-foot diameter, concrete-lined horseshoe-shaped rock tunnel that runs from the Duchesne Diversion through the Uinta Mountains to the Provo River—a distance of six miles. Construction on the Duchesne Tunnel began in 1948 but was halted in 1951 at the outbreak of the Korean War. Work resumed in 1953 and was completed in 1954. One team of workers started construction at the proposed inlet of the tunnel while another team started at the proposed outlet, planning to meet in the middle. It has been reported that team engineers, using only slide rules and transits, were so accurate in their surveying that when the two teams met near the middle of the tunnel, they were only inches off. This level of accuracy allows you to peer inside of the tunnel and see the other end, six miles away!

Time:

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Links: https://www.prwua.org/projects/duchesne-tunnel-system/

Location

Closest City or Region: Kamas, Utah

Coordinates: 40.623237, -110.890397

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July 1, 2023 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Cooper Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Killian Wagner, Matt Laurendeau, Amanda Laurendeau, Alex Laurendeau, Caleb Laurendeau, Rose Laurendeau, Lila Laurendeau, Trey Laurendeau,

Story

On Saturday, We had a great time kayaking on the pond. Cooper went through three sets of clothes because he kept getting wet when he wasn't supposed to. We skipped rocks and read books in hammocks and talked around camp and took a mile or two hike down the river. We also hiked up to the top of the waterfall and found a few more smaller waterfalls above. Ondy went home because Jaren was feeling anxious about the drive.

Pictures