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Infrastructure
Health & Emergency Services Given that the town of Lake City in Hinsdale County is extremely remote, the county has developed several facilities and programs for the obtainment of health services. The town has their own fire department, emergency medical service team, search and rescue, sheriff’s department and medical center. Hinsdale County also has a Public Health and Community Services program which provides a variety of public health and social services to county residents. School The Lake City Community School was constructed in 1987 and originally included just a few elementary classrooms but later expanded in the year 2001 to include services for kindergarten, middle and high school students. The current number of K-12th grade students receiving education at the school is approximately 100. Wastewater Treatment Because development is primarily along the Lake Fork corridor, wastewater treatment and water quality are potential concerns. In Gunnison County along the lower Lake Fork, residences are, almost without exception, on individual septic systems. However, in Hinsdale County, the Town of Lake City and a few subdivisions have central wastewater treatment. Lake City’s water and sanitation district reaches beyond the town boundaries and currently has 526 taps, serving 40% of the residences in Hinsdale County. Roads Roads are also concentrated along the river corridor. State Hwy 149, the only paved highway in Hinsdale County, traverses the watershed from north to south, paralleling the Lake Fork in most locations and connecting Lake City with Gunnison to the north and Creede to the south. This road is a National Scenic Byway, the Silver Thread. There are more than 300 miles of unpaved secondary and primitive roads, the latter predominately used by tourists (4WD, ATV and off-road motorcycles) between May and October. The Alpine Loop, a historic scenic byway which connects the towns of Lake City, Silverton and Ouray via Engineer and Cinnamon Passes, attracts some 15,000 visitors annually, providing easy access to sensitive alpine plant communities. |
About Our Valley
Landscape & Geology Water Resources Ecosystems Fisheries & Wildlife History & Culture Demographics |
