The McElmo Creek Flume carried water from the 1890s to the 1990s, part of a diverted system that brought water from the Dolores River into a valley without a river and made the founding of Cortez possible. After abandonment, it remained in good condition until a 2006 flash flood sent debris into the trough and damaged the wooden top, after which deterioration accelerated and collapse became a danger. Concerned local residents helped bring recognition to its importance, and it was placed on the Colorado List of Endangered Places in 2011 and on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012 for its significance to the water history of Montezuma County and the settlement of the West. Preservation work began with assessing the wood and the concrete and steel foundation, especially the badly eroded south end where supports were left hanging, as well as cracked concrete from 1955 and corroding steel girders. In the winter of 2016, repairs were completed on the foundation, including new footers at the south end and rip-rap for erosion protection, while plans called for rebuilding the wooden trough with about 30 percent of the original wood still in good or fair condition, with completion expected by 2018. The work was supported by four grants to Montezuma County from the History Colorado State Historical Fund and by matching funds from regional water organizations, local institutions, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and private donors.