Curecanti to Rifle Transmission Line Clearing

About The Project

VM West was contracted to perform a full-scale vegetation clearing project within the right-of-way of a large transmission line running from the Black Canyon to Rifle, Colorado. The 60-mile line clearance project was conducted with hand crews and mechanized mastication resources, across steep canyon slopes and high-elevation mountainous terrain. The prior vegetation treatment for this line occurred over 10 years ago, resulting in thick growth of brush, evergreens, and aspens across the entirety of the circuit. The transmission line also passed through miles of evergreen and aspen stands, where forest health degradation has resulted in hundreds of standing, dead trees within strike distance of line conductors. VM West employed roping and technical falling expertise to safely fall all trees, without compromising the integrity of the energized utility line. The successful planning and execution of this project allowed thousands of residents across Western Colorado to have uninterrupted power throughout the project duration and eliminated crippling infrastructure hazards that would impact the transmission line integrity in future years.