DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Water was working in the neighborhood of Sloan Lake on a construction project last year until it suddenly halted when crews found a centuries-old water pipe made of a “highly unusual” material.
According to a newly published report, Denver Water said it began the project at the end of 2023 and into January by digging up old pipes south of Federal Boulevard and West 25th Avenue intersection for a pedestrian safety and stormwater improvement project.
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After digging through northwest Denver, the crew found a pipeline from the late 1800s. However, instead of finding materials that pipes used to be made out of like wood stave, vitrified clay, brick and cast iron, crews found a hollowed-out tree that had been sitting under Denver since 1886.
Denver Water said the tree had wrought-iron bands wrapped around it for added durability and was coated in tar to protect the wood in the ground.
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A construction worker digs out part of an old wooden pipeline near Federal Boulevard and West 25th Avenue in northwest Denver. (Photo credit: HDR, Inc.)
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Crews uncovered a large section of wooden pipeline under West 25th Avenue in January 2024. (Photo credit: HDR Inc.)
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This photo shows the joint where two pieces of the wood pipe connect. (Photo credit: HDR Inc.)
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Pieces of the pipe were removed from the ground for analysis. (Photo credit: HDR Inc.)
The tree came as a surprise, as Denver Water said there was no record of the plant in the engineering surveys, but not as much as when crews found another tree a month later under West 25th Avenue between Federal Boulevard and Eliot Street in January.
Then, the project was put on hold for an investigation.
The investigation found that a Michigan company installed the pipes. While tree pipes weren’t unheard of, the investigation said that most of the tree pipelines were used in the Midwest and Northeast.
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Megan Mueller, a cultural resource specialist at HDR Inc., said she believes the pipe found by crews is the only one of its kind ever installed in Colorado. Mueller said in the report that the companies were probably testing various types of piping at the time.
The investigation eventually ended and Denver Water said some of the pipe was removed to make way for a new storm sewer, while other sections were left in the ground.
Mueller told Denver Water in a recent report that the company is still looking for a place to keep the artifacts for historical purposes but it’s complicated due to the pipe’s old coating and special storage requirements.
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