Colorado Western Slope
Colorado Western Slope | |
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Continental Divide in Colorado | |
Range | Rocky Mountains |
The Western Slope is a colloquial term generally understood to describe the part of the state of
Location
The Western Slope, though without an official definition, generally is understood to include Delta, Dolores, Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Juan, San Miguel, and Summit counties and portions of Archuleta, Mineral, and Saguache counties.[4][5]
The Western Slope has about 70% of the state's water.
History
Prehistory
Ancestral Puebloan periods |
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Archaic–Early Basketmaker Era 7000–1500 BCE |
Early Basketmaker II Era 1500 BCE–50 CE |
Late Basketmaker II Era 50–500 |
Basketmaker III Era 500–750 |
Pueblo I Period 750–900 |
Pueblo II Period 900–1150 |
Pueblo III Period 1150–1350 |
Pueblo IV Period 1350–1600 |
Pueblo V Period 1600–present |
European contact
Spanish explorers visited the Western Slope in the 18th century.
In 1858 and 1859, the
After contact with people of European descent, there were a number of treaties to define boundaries for Native Americans, including the Treaty of 1868 that resulted in the Utes relinquishing their land east of the Continental Divide. They maintained most of their land in the Western Slope with the treaty. The Utes were pushed out of much of the Western Slope after gold was found in the
The region has a rich heritage in farming and ranching, with agribusiness remaining a key industry for most of the western slope. It is historically an energy hub, with coal, oil, uranium, and natural gas production.[3]
Population
The Western Slope region is sparsely populated, containing 38% of Colorado's area but only 10.7% of its population. The region had a population of 563,138 in July 2013, an increase of 0.6% on the previous year, and had a low growth rate over the previous three years compared to the rest of the state.[6]
The most populated areas of the Western slope are the Tri County area, which contains Grand Junction, Montrose, and Delta, and the Intermountain area, containing Glenwood Springs, Aspen, and Vail. Grand Junction is the largest city between Denver, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, Utah, with a population of 61,881 (2016, US Census Bureau).[citation needed]
According to the State Demographer's Office, the population of the Western Slope is estimated to grow by two-thirds by 2050. Mesa County is expected to grow to 236,554 residents, accounting for 25% of the population growth on the Western Slope and become the 10th most populous county in the state. In 2015, the total population on the Western Slope was 563,766 and is projected to increase 67.2% to 942,463 residents in 2050.[7]
Economy
Economic activity has primarily centered around ranching, mining, and tourism.
Much of the area's economy continues to be dependent upon energy extraction services and tourism. The region contains plentiful sources of oil, natural gas, uranium, and coal.[3] Although much of the area's economy is still dominated by energy extraction services and tourism, the Grand Junction area's most prominent economic sector is health care. Grand Junction and surrounding Mesa County is a regional healthcare hub serving approximately 11 counties in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, which includes more than 500,000 people.
Tourism
The Western Slope has climate zones that include the desert, mountains, mountain lakes, and river valleys. As a result there are a number of outdoor recreational options that may include rock climbing, hiking, skiing, horseback riding and other activities. Crested Butte, Aspen, Telluride, and Vail are skiing areas. National forests include White River National Forest, Grand Mesa National Forest, Gunnison National Forest, Uncompahgre National Forest, and the San Juan National Forest. Black Canyon is in the Gunnison National Park.[8]
Fauna
Voters narrowly approved a November 2020 ballot measure that directed the commission that oversees CPW to develop a plan to begin to reintroduce wolves by the end of 2023 on the Western Slope. The wolves are managed and designated as a non-game species, meaning they cannot be hunted, with fair compensation being offered for livestock killed by the predators.[9] Passage of the referendum was opposed by many cattle ranchers, elk hunters, farmers and others in rural areas that argue wolf reintroduction is bad policy which will threaten the raising of livestock and a $1 billion hunting industry.[10]
References
- ^ Sieg, Stina (November 27, 2023). "From the Continental Divide to Utah, or somewhere else? Where is the Western Slope in Colorado?". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ "Trail Ridge Road - Estes Park - Rocky Mountain National Park". colorado.com. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Vandenbusche, Duane (January 23, 2017). "Western Slope". coloradoencyclopedia.org. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ "Who We Are". Colorado River District. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ "About Us". Southwestern Water Conservation District. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ Fox, Brooke (November 2014). "Western Slope Economy" (PDF). Colorado Business Review. 80 (4). Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder: 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ Vaccarelli, Joe (December 6, 2017). "Coming: Less elbow room". The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Western Colorado for Tourists". USA Today. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Brasch, Sam (November 6, 2020). "Colorado Voters Want Wolves Back In Colorado. Now Comes The Hard Part". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Preston, Christopher J. (March 7, 2023). "How the return of wolves is changing the relationship between humans and wild animals". Fast Company.
Further reading
- Steven C. Schultz, As Precious as Blood: The Western Slope in Colorado's Water Wars, 1900-1970. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado, 2016.