La Plata County
La Plata County is located in the
southwest corner of Colorado, and is part of a social
and economic unit known as
Region 9. Region 9
comprises five counties:
Archuleta,
Dolores,
La Plata,
Montezuma,
and San
Juan. It’s also part of a larger region known as the
Four
Corners, where Southeast Utah, Southwest Colorado,
Northwest New Mexico and Northeast Arizona come
together. The county is comprised of 1,083,085 acres
(1,692 sq. miles). Of these, 43% are private lands, 16%
are tribal lands (Southern
Ute and Ute
Mountain Ute Indian Tribes) and 41% are state and
federal lands including the
San Juan
National Forest, and extensive tracts overseen by
the
Bureau of Land Management.
Demographics
La Plata County has three incorporated
communities, the
City of Durango (the county seat), and the Towns of
Bayfield and
Ignacio. In
2000 the county's population was 43,941 and grew to
about 50,735 in 2008, an estimated increase of about
1.7% annually. The Town of Bayfield has seen the highest
percentage of growth since 2000, but Durango has grown
more in actual numbers. In the Town of Ignacio
population has been slowly declining, but with the
advent of casino gambling on the Southern Ute
Reservation and other expanding tribal enterprises
growth is expected. The Southern Ute Tribal enrollment
in 2009 was 1,445, with the majority of the members
living on the reservation. The 2000 Census shows the
largest percentage of the tribal members are in their
early twenties and younger. According to the 2007
American Community Survey the median age in La Plata
County was 36.5, youngest in the region. Males
comprised 51% and females comprised 49% of the total
population. The average household size was 2.3 people.
History
The county seat of Durango
was organized in 1881. The historic district
of downtown Durango was platted by the railroad that
established the narrow gauge Denver and Rio Grande
Railroad. Durango became a rail hub because it had the
combination of the Animas River and nearby coal sources
needed to fuel a smelter and coal driven steam engines
to process ore from the mines in San Juan County. With
the dedication of the "Million Dollar Highway" in July
of 1924, the transportation of gold, silver, lead,
copper and zinc moved from the narrow gauge train to
Highway 550 which connects Durango to Silverton.
Beginning in the late 1950s, the rail line that had
carried ore down from Silverton began, instead, to carry
tourists up from Durango to enjoy the spectacular
scenery. Durango also developed as a hub for other
modes of transportation. Durango is at the intersection
of Highway 160, the major east-west arterial in
Southwest Colorado and Highway 550 a major north-south
arterial in Southwest Colorado. Durango / La Plata
County also developed the most extensive air hub in
Southwest Colorado. Because of its location within the
larger region, Durango has become a tourist crossroads
and regional trade center.
The early residents of Bayfield
and the Pine River Valley were the Ute
Indians. Their descendants are still in the area,
primarily on the Southern Ute Reservation and in the
Ignacio area at the south end of the valley. The Pine
River Valley was settled by non-Indians in the late
1800s. The first cattle were brought into the valley in
1875. The area gradually opened up as ranchers
discovered the fertile valley. Much of the land was
homesteaded by squatters rights. The Town of Bayfield
was incorporated in 1906. The town has experienced the
tragedies of fire (1902, 1905, 1920, and 1946) and
floods (1911, two in 1927, and 1957). After the floods
of 1927, a proposal was written for a dam on the Pine
River for flood control and irrigation. Vallecito Dam
was started in 1939 and its lake now provides recreation
as well as flood control and irrigation.
Bayfield has since served as a supply
town and social center for area farmers and ranchers,
and more recently as a bedroom community for Durango.
It has remained a quiet town, riding the booms and busts
that are typical of Colorado's economy. In recent
years, it has experienced rapid growth and has become
the fastest growing municipality in southwestern
Colorado.
The early residents of the
Ignacio area were the Ute Indians, primarily
the Weeminuche band. Their traditional territory
extended west of the continental divide to the Blue
Mountains and canyon lands of southeast Utah, and north
of the San Juan River, which generally marked their
boundary with the Navajos. Although the boundaries of
the Ute Reservation have changed with the passing of
various treaties, the Ignacio Agency for the Southern
Ute Tribe was founded in 1877 amidst a permanent
population of Spanish Americans (Hispanics), Navajos,
Paiutes, Anglos and Jicarilla Apaches living in the
area. Within a few months of the founding of the
Ignacio Agency a greater influx of Spanish American
settlers arrived from communities in northern New Mexico
and the San Luis Valley to the east. In 1913 Ignacio
was incorporated.
At present Ignacio remains a tri-ethnic
community, composed of Southern Utes, Hispanics and
Anglos. Today the town serves as a supply center for
the surrounding reservation and ranches and is a
crossroads for the gas and oil industry.
The Southern Ute Tribal
headquarters is located just north of the Ignacio town
limits and provides administration and services to
tribal members. The reservation land base includes
750,000 acres, seven major rivers, and Navajo State
Park. More recently, the Tribe purchased land near
Durango and is building the Three Springs housing and
commercial center on 681 acres, which will have 2,283
homes and many thousands of square feet of new
commercial/office space.
Natural resources on the reservation
include extensive gas reserves, coal, timber, and
agriculture. These resources provide the basis for a
diversified Tribal economic base. Tribal energy
resources, particularly in the form of natural gas, have
played the largest role in the reservation economy over
the past decade.
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is a
significant economic engine in La Plata County and the
region. The Tribe is one of the largest employers in
the county. Their oil and gas operations, gaming
enterprises at the Sky Ute Lodge and Casino, land and
housing development, and tourism-related businesses
bring jobs and income to Tribal and non-Tribal
residents. A new casino hotel and convention center
opened in 2008 and a new museum and cultural center is
due to open in 2011.
Economy
Historically, La Plata County developed
as a result of "traditional west" commodities such as
minerals, cattle and timber. Since the 1970s, La Plata
County has been in transition from a traditional rural
county to a more urban environment in which tourism is
the number one industry. The natural environment, and
the amenities it provides, are behind much of the growth
and have become the larger region's chief economic
asset.
Although there is a relatively low
unemployment rate (5.7% in 2008), wages and employment
are highly dependent on generally low paying retail and
service sector jobs driven primarily by the tourist and
resort industry. The service sector provides 40% of
jobs and 32% of employment income. The Trade sector
accounts for 13% of jobs and 11% of employment income.
Government is also an important sector, providing 17% of
employment and 20% of employment income in 2007.
Proprietors (owners) make up 20% of total employment,
while wage and salary jobs account for 80%.
A recent analysis of the base industries
in the county emphasizes the health and diversity of the
La Plata County economy.
Base industries produce exports or
derive their sales or income directly from outside
sources, or indirectly by providing supplies to export
industries. These activities bring in
outside dollars to circulate within the
local economy. Important industries identified by the
study are construction (21%); retirees and other
households receiving non-job income (19%); tourism and
travel (15%); regional services such as utility
companies and airports (13%); agriculture, mining,
utilities and manufacturing (11%); federal, state and
tribal government (9%); and Ft. Lewis College (5%).
Second homes account for 7% of base industry jobs,
primarily in construction and real estate. Current
updates on economic indicators for each county in the
region can be found in the
Four Corners Economic Quarterly.
Housing
According to the State Demographers
office, in 2008 there were 26,821 total housing units.
Of these, 75% were occupied and 25% were vacant. About
17% of single family homes in the county are owned by
2nd homeowners that live outside of the county,
according to a 2006 study. These second homes account
for 7% of base industry jobs. In 2008 the median price
of a single family residential home in Durango was
$332,200; in Bayfield $284,000; and in Ignacio $167,000
according to the
Real
Estate Watch, a monthly publication that tracks real
estate sales.
Livable Wages
The
Southwest Colorado Index has calculated that in 2007
a minimum of $10.78/hr provided a livable wage in
Bayfield, $11.18/hr in Durango, and $11.39/hr in
Ignacio, if you were a single person renting a
one-bedroom apartment. Per Capita Income (PCI) was
$38,263 in 2007 (latest figure available). The Area
Median Income (AMI) is the highest in the region in
2009, estimated to be $66,200 by the Bureau of Economic
Analysis.
Transportation
Transportation is a prominent La Plata County issue.
Residents, the county, and area municipalities all
recognize that increasing numbers of people are
commuting longer and longer distances to work. The City
of Durango is the central point for work and shopping,
with the majority of commuters traveling in from
Bayfield and Mancos. Roads, including Highways 160 and
550 are reaching capacity.
The county’s area of greatest growth is expected to
be in the Three Springs/Grandview area, increasing
traffic between Durango and where the new Mercy Regional
Medical Center is located off Highway 160. Currently,
the average travel time between downtown Durango and
Grandview is 15 minutes. The same trip is projected to
be 24 minutes in 2030.
The City of Durango and La Plata County just
completed the 2030 TRIP (Transportation Integrated
Plan), a regional guide for investment and policy
decisions to meet future transportation needs. The 2030
TRIP considered all transportation modes from motorized
vehicles, public transportation, bicycling and walking.
The 2030 TRIP also looked at intersection
improvements, transit systems and acquisition of right
of way for future transit. The Smart 160 group hopes to
expand trail systems between Durango and Bayfield, while
another is looking at future light rail between the two
communities. The City of Durango just constructed a
transit center to provide a central hub for the Ignacio
Roadrunner, Durango Transit and other community bus
service connecting to and from Durango.
La Plata County is also a very popular bicycling area
and thus the 2030 TRIP looks at increasing the shoulder
width on highly utilized roads, and creating new and
expanding existing bike paths.
Airports:
Animas Airpark is located in La Plata County, four miles
south of the City of Durango, at an elevation of 6,690
feet. Access to the airport is from County Road 213. It
is a privately owned general aviation airport open to
the public and operated by Animas Airpark, Inc. The
facility has a 5,000 foot long runway but does not have
a terminal building.
Durango/La Plata County Airport - This facility is
located in La Plata County, 14 miles southeast of the
City of Durango. Access to the airport is from US Hwy.
172. It is a publicly owned commercial service facility
operated jointly by the City of Durango and La Plata
County. The airport also supports private aviation
facilities, air freight operations and an interagency
wildfire air tanker base. The primary runway is over
9,200 feet long, and is equipped with lights and
navigational aids. Daily service includes flights to
Denver, Phoenix and Salt Lake.
Intercity Bus Service: Currently,
intercity bus service is severely limited in most of the
region. Bus service is provided by
TNM&O,
a private carrier that serves as an "interline" to
Greyhound Bus. TNM&O serves La Plata County from
Durango, and San Juan County from Silverton. The
service is a daily north/south run along US Highway 550
connecting to Grand Junction and Albuquerque, NM.
Specialized Transit:
The
Durango T provides year-round fixed route
transportation using buses, trolleys and
demand/responsive transit service minibuses. The fixed
route buses and trolleys run within the city limits of
Durango, and provide the most comprehensive bus service
in the region. The Opportunity Bus is for those with
ADA disabilities and for seniors aged 60 and over. The
Opportunity Bus runs 6 days a week in the winter and 7
days a week in the summer, though arrangements for
service must be made 24 hours in advance. The routes
have recently increased to include two daily trips to
Mercy Regional Medical Center.
The Southern Ute Community Action Programs (SUCAP)
offers fixed route and demand-responsive transportation
services to the Southern Ute Tribal community, and
residents of Ignacio. The service area has expanded to
offer daily routes between Bayfield and Durango. This
program operates a fixed-route service four times daily
between Ignacio and Durango. Two runs operate during
commuter hours and are designed to link with the Durango
T. The two mid-day run allows two hours in Durango for
medical appointments and shopping. Demand/response
service operates in the Ignacio area for one and
one-half hours in the morning and two hours in the
afternoon.
Durango Transportation is a private company that
also provides on demand services to locations in La
Plata County, seven days a week.
Education
Southwest Colorado is blessed with educational
opportunities from pre-school Head Start Programs to
long-distance master’s degree programs offered by
Alamosa State College, the University of Colorado,
Denver University, and more.
La Plata County supports three K-12 public school
districts:
Bayfield School District , Durango
School District and the
Ignacio School District. A number of private
schools are located in the county as well, including
St. Columba Catholic School and
Timberline Academy,
as well as
Animas High School, a charter school in Durango.
Adult education programs are also offered - including
GED preparation classes, basic reading classes, English
classes for non-English speakers, computer skills
classes, finance, and adult enrichment classes. Adult
education programs in Colorado, as a rule, do not
receive per-pupil state funding unless they contract
directly with school districts to provide services to
qualifying students. Most rely on fund-raising and
grant-making to support their programs.
Fort Lewis
College is the region’s only four-year college. Its
general education program is founded upon the principles
of the liberal arts, and the college offers more than 30
degree and certification programs.
Southwest Colorado Community College, the result of
the recent merger between Pueblo Community College’s
Durango campus and San Juan Basin Vocational Technical
School, offers pre-college and college classes as well
as technical certification classes.
Health Care
La Plata County,
Mercy Medical
Center, the City of Durango and several private
practices established a Health Services Clinic in 2007.
The clinic is seeking federal designation as a Rural
Health Clinic to obtain higher reimbursement rates for
Medicare and Medicaid. Durango High School established a
school-based health clinic in late 2007 and treated more
than 1,500 students its first full year in operation.
The San Juan Basin
Health Department serves La Plata County and
provides a number of direct services, including prenatal
care, administration of the Women, Infants, and Children
nutrition program, home visits for new parents,
home-health services for the elderly, and preventive
care programs such as smoking cessation and healthy
heart screenings.
Southwest Colorado
Mental Health Center offers mental health and
substance abuse services in stand-alone clinics in La
Plata and works closely with the two school health
centers, Mercy’s Health Services Clinic.
Active Nonprofits in La Plata County
List Coming Soon
RPD Brings
Art to Ignacio: Celebrating Art and Cultural
Diversity through Murals
After participating in the 2006 Rural
Philanthropy Days Conference, the Town of Ignacio
applied for the CCA grant to engage Ignacio youth in a
mural-paining project. A $500 grant from the Colorado
Council on the Arts served as seed money to generate a
total of $1,500 for this project, celebrating the town’s
cultural heritage. Ignacio is a small town in southeast
La Plata County and is surrounded by the Southern Ute
Indian Tribe. It also has a rich Hispanic and ranching
heritage. The community is proud of its tri-cultural
roots. After receiving the $500 seed money, the Town
came up with matching funds to engage 20 youth and four
local artists in a mural project that resulted in three
large murals on downtown buildings. Their works of art
include:
-
“It’s All About the Ride,” a
motorcycle-themed mural that pays tribute to the
annual motorcycle rally that Ignacio has hosted for
15 years. Five students and the art teacher from
Ignacio High School painted the mural.
-
“Ancient Symbols,” a project of
youth in the Seven Rivers 4-H Club, depicts the
heritage of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and other
tribes that originally lived on the land where
Ignacio was established.
-
“Restoring the Land,” a tribute to
the work of youth in the Southwest Conservation
Corps who annually maintain a river trail through
the town park. SCC youth painted the mural.
“This mural project really demonstrated
the excitement and pride that the artist-youth
collaboration produced," said Ignacio Assistant Town
Manager Patricia Senecal, "and it all started at Rural
Philanthropy Days.”
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