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<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 />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Economy <br /> <br />The regional economy of the South Platte River basin in Colorado may be <br /> <br /> <br />characterized as well-developed, prosperous, and growing rapidly. Its <br /> <br /> <br />industrial structure is quite diverse. The unemployment rate has been well <br /> <br /> <br />below that for the nation as a whole, and cyclical swings in the ecomony <br /> <br /> <br />have been modest. Per capita income in the basin is higher than for both <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado and the nation as a whole. From an economic standpoint, <br /> <br /> <br />conditions in the basin are described in terms of the previously identified <br /> <br /> <br />three distinct regions: the Mountain, Transition, and Plains zones. The <br /> <br />Transition zone contains the Denver Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area <br /> <br /> <br />(SMSA), comprised of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, and Jefferson <br /> <br />counties. This SMSA contains over 80 percent of the population of the <br /> <br /> <br />entire basin and thus overwhelms the other 2 regions in any terms of <br /> <br /> <br />basinwide economic evaluation. <br /> <br />The Mountain zone consists of scattered small communities and rural <br /> <br /> <br />residences. Many of these communities were settled during the mining era <br /> <br />beginning in the late 1800's. Some mining still exists, but today the <br /> <br /> <br />economy of this region is supported by a combination of tourism, mining, <br /> <br />and the provision of goods and services to residents who commute to <br /> <br /> <br />employment centers in the Transition zone. <br /> <br />Economic statistics for the three counties (Clear Creek, Gilpin, and Park) <br /> <br /> <br />which typify the Mountain zone illustrate the character of the regional <br /> <br /> <br />economy in this part of the basin (Table 1). They reveal that the Mountain <br /> <br /> <br />zone is sparsely populated, rural, and growing. Its proximity to the large <br /> <br />population and employment centers of the Transition zone moderates the low <br /> <br /> <br />income and economic stagnation which otherwise might be expected to <br /> <br /> <br />characterize such a rural region in Colorado. In Clear Creek County, for <br /> <br />example, about 25 percent of the total employment is devoted to goods and <br /> <br /> <br />services, with smaller percentages allocated to agriculture, mining and <br /> <br /> <br />manufacturing (Table 1). <br /> <br />-17- <br />