Prehistoric Reservoir Studies at Mesa Verde National Park, May 2003

Photos courtesy of team member Ernie Pemberton

Adjacent to the Mummy Lake study site are Pipe Shrine House and Far View Village.  Scholars at the University of Colorado judge Far View Village (in the background) to be a Chaco Outlying Community.  This view is from Pipe Shrine House looking north. 
Following the WWE/WPI 1999 study of Mummy Lake, the National Park Service changed the site's name to Far View Reservoir to better reflect our scientific discoveries.  One of our sketches was used on the interpretive sign posted at the site.
Excavated by Dr. Jack Smith, Coyote Village is a popular tourist attraction near Mummy Lake.  Jack Smith has been a WWE/WPI associate since 1995.
The alignment of the 1100-year-old inlet canal for Morefield Reservoir is defined by the raised berm and ancient canal stones.  Here, Ken Wright is documenting the route for further study. 
Morefield Reservoir was used between AD 750 and 1100 for domestic water supply.  It contains 21 feet of deposited sediment. 
Box Elder Reservoir in Prater Canyon dates from AD 800 to 950.  Dr. David Breternitz observes power augering by US Bureau of Reclamation engineer Richard Wiltshire and US Department of Agriculture Soil Scientist Doug Ramsey.  All three are members of the WWE/WPI study team.
Dr. Peter Monkmeyer of the University of Arizona is pointing to the stacked stones that helped form the 1100-year old intake canal for Box Elder Reservoir.  Dr. Monkmeyer is the past chairman of the University of Wisconsin Civil Engineering Department and an expert on open channel hydraulics. 
Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs (left) traces the ancient route up the Box Elder Reservoir inlet canal.  Ken Wright holds one of the stream bank protection stones placed by the Anasazi. 
Team members, Doug Ramsey, Dr. Mary Gillam and David Foss, examine soil samples from Box Elder Reservoir while Kurt Loptien and Terri Ohlson  prepare to auger deeper into the sediment.
Groundwater exploration was performed in the channel of Prater Canyon using a hand auger.  David Foss and Jason Alexander are deciding where to drill. 
Following the Box Elder Reservoir field studies, a symposium was conducted at Mesa Verde.  Attendees included Greg Hobbs, Peter Monkmeyer, Ken Wright and Ruth Wright, as Dr. David Breternitz lectured.
Mummy Lake is a domestic water supply reservoir dating from AD 950 to 1180.  Shown here is a ramp and several ancient walls.
The US Bureau of Reclamation power auger allowed the WWE/WPI team to penetrate over 20 feet of the ancient sediment of Box Elder Reservoir.  Doug Ramsey and Richard Wiltshire are shown here with the auger in action.
Ken Wright, Gregory Hobbs and NPS Archaeological Ranger Jim Kleidon inspect ancient stream bank protection stones.