The Tunnel

Last week I was browsing through the headings of this years posts and I realized that I hadn't written anything about the Tunnel.

The Tunnel is one of the greatest legacies of Marvin F. Lyman. I just spent the last hour reading his oral history recounting the Tunnel Project. There is too much to choose from to enter into the blog, but one thing that was clear to me, even though the project stopped and started several times, Marvin never lost the desire to complete the Tunnel Project so that water would flow into Blanding. He cared about the community of Blanding and knew that water was necessary to grow the town.

Early photo of individuals involved in the Tunnel Project.

Marvin drinking 'pure water' from the spring.

In Marvin's oral history, he states, "We didn't have any pure water until we got this treatment plant in. It killed the germs all right, but as far as I'm concerned there isn't any water that is fit to drink. I never drink it. In the summer time, I take my can and go up to get the spring water in the mountains for drinking here. I can't stand that chlorine taste very well. I never did get used to it."

Margie Hurst Lyman at the dedication of the Tunnel.

Marvin's father, Walter C. Lyman had been instrumental in beginning the Tunnel project. He died prior to its completion. The tunnel breakthrough occurrent in January 1952.