A log flume is a flume

Flume

A flume is an open artificial water channel, in the form of a gravity chute, that leads water from a diversion dam or weir completely aside a natural flow. Often, the flume is an elevated box structure that follows the natural contours of the land. These have been extensively used in hydraulic...

 specifically constructed to transport lumber

Lumber

Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....

 and log

Logging

Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...

s down mountainous terrain to a sawmill

Sawmill

A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....

 by using flowing water. These watertight trough-like channels could be built to span a long distance across chasms and down steep mountain slopes. The use of log flumes facilitated the quick and cheap transportation of logs and thereby eliminated the need for horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails.

Early flumes were square chutes that were prone to jams that could cause damage and required constant maintenance. In 1868, James W. Haines first built the "V" shaped log flumes that allowed jammed logs to free itself (when the rising water level in the flume would push up the log). These efficient flumes consisted of 2 boards, 2 foot (0.6096 m) wide, joined perpendicularly, and came in common use in the western United States during the late 19th century.

The longest log flume was reputedly the Kings River Flume in Sanger, California

Sanger, California

Sanger is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 24,270 at the 2010 census, up from 18,731 at the 2000 census. Sanger is located east-southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of 371 feet .- Geography :...

. Built in 1890 by the Kings River Lumber Company, it spanned over 62 miles (99.8 km) from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the lumber yard and railroad depot in Sanger. Together with a constant water supply from a nearby reservoir, the flume enabled the efficient transportation of boards of lumber over deep gorges and cliffs and thereby opened up the area now known as Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The U.S. National Forest is named for the majestic Giant Sequoia trees which populate 38 distinct groves within the boundaries of the forest....

 for clearcutting of the giant Redwood

Cupressaceae

The Cupressaceae or cypress family is a conifer family with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27 to 30 genera , which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130-140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioecious or dioecious trees and shrubs from 1-116 m tall...

 forests. Proper operation was ensured by "flume herders" who at various locations along the flume checked the flow of lumber and water.

On occasion, despite being exceedingly dangerous, flume herders and others would ride down the flume in small crafts or boats, either for inspection or for thrills. Such rides were the precursor of the modern log-ride amusement park attractions

Log flume (attraction)

Log flumes originally referred to a special construct used to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. Today, however, the term is also used to refer to an amusement ride consisting of a water flume and artificial hollow logs or boats...

.

See also

• Timber slide
  Timber slide
  A timber slide is a device for moving timber past rapids and waterfalls. Their use in Canada was widespread in the 18th and 19th century timber trade. At this time, cut timber would be floated down rivers in large timber rafts from logging camps to ports such as Montreal and Saint John, New...
  
   - similar to log flumes but used on rivers to bypass rapids and falls
• Log flume (attraction)
  Log flume (attraction)
  Log flumes originally referred to a special construct used to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. Today, however, the term is also used to refer to an amusement ride consisting of a water flume and artificial hollow logs or boats...
  
  (log ride)