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Region 10
Communities
Region 10 consists of six
west-central Colorado counties, Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose,
Ouray, and San Miguel, covering an area larger than the state of New
Jersey and extending from the Continental Divide westward to the Utah
border. The total land area equals 9,563 square miles. A large portion
of the land area is in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National
Forest. Throughout the Region, rugged and varied topography creates an
ever-changing landscape, with slick rock canyon lands, broad fertile
valleys, high plateaus of open rangeland, and jagged, snowcapped mountains
reaching 14,000 feet.
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| The largest communities in the Region are the City
of Montrose, the City of Delta, and the City of Gunnison. These
communities serve as county seats for the most populous counties
and provide the only hospitals in the Region. The Delta and Montrose
economies are based on the provision of consumer retail and wholesale
goods, consumer services, farm equipment and supplies, government
services, and medical services to a large area of the |
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| Region. Delta and Montrose also provide
most of the manufacturing employment in the Region. Gunnison serves
a much smaller local market, but provides services to college students
attending Western State College. Delta, Gunnison, and Montrose
all provide offices for most of the Federal and State agencies
in the Region. |
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Scattered throughout the Region are
towns with populations ranging from 380 to 3000 people, and a few
smaller communities and other unincorporated settlements.
Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte, Telluride and Mountain Village are primarily
ski resorts with increasing summer tourism opportunities.
Lake City and Ouray are summer resort areas and both are National Historic Districts.
Paonia, Hotchkiss, and Crawford in Delta County's North Fork Valley, are in the
center of Colorado's most extensive fruit-growing area and are labor sources
for neighboring coal mines.
Cedaredge, on the slope of Grand Mesa, and Orchard City are also fruit producing
areas in Delta County.
Naturita, Nucla and Norwood in western Montrose and San Miguel counties provide
a range of goods and services to the surrounding population and serve as supply
centers for area ranches.
Olathe, a farm service community, is nationally known for its famous “Olathe
Sweet” Sweet Corn. Ridgway is the home to Ridgway State Recreation Area
a premier outdoor recreation facility.
The remaining communities in the Region are primarily very small towns providing
a limited range of services for tourists or local farmers and ranchers. |
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