Latest News in the Valley
February 2007
Wolf Creek up to 258 inches of snow
The recent storms that grounded the Denver International Airport have been a welcome sight to skiers at the Wolf Creek Ski Area. They have received 258 inches of snow to date and have a base of 72 inches. Temperatures on the mountain should reach 19 degrees today, while South Fork is expected to reach 31 degrees. Much of that difference has to do with elevation difference. South Fork’s elevation is 8,190 feet, whereas the base at Wolf Creek is 10,300 feet above sea level.
New Solar Plant proposed for Valley
A new solar plant that would potentially produce 1,000 megawatts of electricity has been proposed for the San Luis Valley. A plant this large will require 5,000 acres, which would dwarf the solar plant currently under construction at only 80 acres. The proposed plant will produce enough electricity to power 300,000 homes and create 300 jobs. While this project will have enormous benefits to the local economy, full build-out is not expected until 2010.
April 2006
Forest Service grants access to the Village at Wolf Creek!
The Village at Wolf Creek is one big step closer to becoming a reality. The Forest Service granted access to the development via 2 roads across forest land. Forest Supervisor Peter Clark designated a 750 foot road, to be named “Snow shed Road”, as the main access from Highway 160. Clark also designated a 250 foot road, called “Tranquility Road”, as access for shuttles and emergency vehicles. Although the road design is more costly than what the developers had originally hoped for, they are still pleased with the decision.
The Ski Village has become a polarizing issue among locals and politicians in Colorado. Opponents feared the environmental impacts outweighed the benefit from establishing such a large development. This latest decision is a major victory for the developer, who plans to use the 287 acres to help Wolf Creek evolve into a full amenity ski resort. The result will have a tremendous financial impact to the Town of South Fork, since it is the nearest municipality. An influx of jobs and tourists should give South Fork a big financial boost and a great deal of exposure to those outside of the valley.
March 2006
The San Luis and Rio Grande tourist train has debuted to a large crowd in La Veta. The train is scheduled to run from La Veta westward to Alamosa then south to Antonito. Regularly scheduled trips will begin on Memorial Day and run through October. The train will provide beautiful views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Rio Grande River, and the Spanish Peaks.
The annual Monte Vista Crane Festival was held from March 10-12. Every year, thousands of sandhill cranes migrate north for the summer. Along the way, the birds spend a few days in Monte Vista to rest and feed for the remainder of their journey. This popular celebration usually doubles the population of Monte Vista and attracts birdwatchers from all over the world.
February 2006
Wild life preservation received a boost from 2 new conservation easements along the Rio Grande River. Ducks Unlimited, with a grant from the Great Outdoors Colorado Board, has almost finished the establishment of two 800 acre preservation areas to help protect the water fowl habitat from potential development. The new sites are contiguous with other designated wildlife areas that hope to preserve the stretch of the Rio Grande River from Monte Vista to Alamosa.
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