 Around the turn of the last century, tie-hacks and loggers cut trees high in Wyoming's mountains. Splash dams were often used to help deliver trees to sawmills and communities below. Loggers stacked rough cut ties along the creek bank during the winter cutting season. Once sufficient timber was collected, the water being stored behind the dam was released in a massive surge. It was a brave tie-hack who got to pull the gate. At this splash dam in the Bighorn Mountains, logs would reportedly travel downstream at nearly 80 miles per hour. It is difficult to imagine the noise and sheer force of such a man-made flash flood. The goal of this structure was to get the logs to a tie flume for a more controlled delivery to a sawmill located in Dayton, Wyoming. The use of splash dams obviously had a significant impact on both the health of the stream and loggers. So as transportation infrastructure improved, splash dams disappeared from the mountains. Although splash dams are a dangerous and destructive way to get timber to market, one must admire the ingenuity of early tree cutters. For the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Milton Geiger, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.