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<br />I <br />II <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Town of Dove Creek <br />The Town of Dove Creek, the County seat of Dolores County, <br /> <br />is located in southwestern Colorado at an elevation of 6,843 <br /> <br />feet. It is located on U. S. Highway 666 between Cortez, Colorado and <br /> <br />Monticello, Utah, and is eight miles from the Utah border. Dove <br /> <br />Creek is on the southern edge of the uranium mining area in Colorado, <br /> <br />which extends northerly along the Dolores River drainage to Gateway, <br /> <br />Colorado. It is the center of a dry land bean and wheat growing area. <br /> <br />With the exception of the mountain area, the climate is comparatively <br /> <br />mild with semi-arid to arid conditions existing. <br /> <br />There are approximately 180,613 acres of fann land in Dolores <br /> <br />County and the fanners have to depend on ideal climate conditions <br /> <br />to raise their crops. <br /> <br />There are numerous uranium and vanadium mines located within <br /> <br />15 miles of Dove Creek. Most of the mines Were closed in 1962 <br /> <br />due to a surplus, however, during the past year due to the increased <br /> <br />demand for energy, there has been increased activity in new explora- <br /> <br />tion and reopening of some of the mines. The population of 986 in <br /> <br />1960 declined to 619 in 1970 due to the shut down of these mines. <br />Presently the population is approximately 700 persons. <br /> <br />Approximately 5 acres or 1.7 percent of the total land <br /> <br />in the Town of Dove Creek is being used for industry. There is <br /> <br />no industrial park, as such. The lack of housing and a dependable <br /> <br />source of water is the significant reason for the absence of <br /> <br />industrial growth in the area. <br /> <br />I - 6 <br />