PROJ00448 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. 1-3 . . To the east of Hotchkiss, beginning about 10 miles up the North Fork, large deposits of coal have been mined since the early 1900's. Recently there has been an expansion in these coal mining operations. It is anticipated that Hotchkiss will become ~n energy impacted community because of the expected accelerated development of coal deposits located less than twenty miles from the town. . BACKGROUND AND HISTORY In the mid 1800's the Ute Indians hunted and farmed near the confluence of Leroux Creek and the North Fork Gunnison River. Enos Hotchkiss came to farm in the area in 1879, about the same time the Utes moved to Utah. By 1901 the community was incorporated. In 1907 construction on the present water system began by the in- stallation of an eight-mile long, eight-inch clay-tile pipeline to bring Leroux Creek water to the town. From the early 1900's through the 1960's Hotchkiss evolved slowly and did not experience any dramatic changes in growth or economic patterns. Recently the town has started to expand with the annexa- tion of the Willow Heights Subdivision. Currently the town encompasses about 240 acres and has an estimated population of 620. There are about another 250 people living just outside of the town's corporate limits. Sewage from the town is collected and treated by the Hotch- kiss Sanitation District. o The future of Hotchkiss depends on many factors, the most important of which is the desires of its citizens. External factors will also shape the future of Hotchkiss, for example, the general economic condition of Oelta County, the extent of development of the coal industry in the ~orth Fork Valley, availability of developable land around Hotchkiss, availability of utilities (including water), and land use control which may be imposed .