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Dolores County, Colorado

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About Dolores, CO

Local News
Complete local news coverage for Dolores County, Colorado. Stay updated on local government, community events, business developments, and civic matters affecting residents of Dove Creek, Rico, Cahone, Stoner, and surrounding southwestern Colorado communities.
Covering
Dove Creek, Rico, Cahone, Stoner and 1,068 square miles in southwestern colorado

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Newsroom monitoring local Dolores, CO developments. Next update cycle in 55 minutes.

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More Local News

Weiser Challenges Bennet at Durango Town Hall on Water, Democracy
Government

Weiser Challenges Bennet at Durango Town Hall on Water, Democracy

Weiser used a Durango town hall to press Bennet on water and democracy, arguing southwest Colorado needs a governor who will defend rights, funding and rural priorities.

Marcus Williams2m read
Brown revives house calls, opens rural clinic for remote patients
Healthcare

Brown revives house calls, opens rural clinic for remote patients

In a county with no hospitals and 25.5% of residents age 65 or older, Dr. David Brown is bringing house calls back to patients who cannot easily travel.

Lisa Park2m read
Durango hardware business opens café, showroom with live blacksmithing
Business

Durango hardware business opens café, showroom with live blacksmithing

Nathaniel Winkler’s new Blacksmith Café lets customers buy hardware, drink coffee and watch live forging at a southwest Durango storefront.

Sarah Chen2m read
Forest Service urges caution as Dolores County backcountry roads muddy up
Government

Forest Service urges caution as Dolores County backcountry roads muddy up

Muddy spring runoff has left many Dolores County backcountry routes unsafe, with elk and deer closures holding until May 1 and some high-country roads still snowbound.

Marcus Williams2m read
Dolores, Pagosa ranger districts opening roads and trails ahead of schedule
Community

Dolores, Pagosa ranger districts opening roads and trails ahead of schedule

Dolores and Pagosa district roads are thawing out early, but mud, gate closures and flood damage still make some high-country routes off-limits.

Marcus Williams2m read
Rico Planning Commission to Consider Updating Wastewater Treatment Regulations in April
Government

Rico Planning Commission to Consider Updating Wastewater Treatment Regulations in April

Rico is four days from a wildfire hazard vote that could reshape insurance and development rules for every property in town; written comments can reach Town Manager Chauncey McCarthy before April 15.

Marcus Williams2m read
Dolores Water Board Splits Scarce Supply Amid Record Warm March
Government

Dolores Water Board Splits Scarce Supply Amid Record Warm March

The warmest March in 132 years left Dolores County's full-service irrigators facing roughly 3 inches of water in a year that typically delivers 22, after a deadlocked board vote.

James Thompson2m read
Rico Town Park Wins Colorado Lottery Starburst Award, Pump Track Coming This Summer
Community

Rico Town Park Wins Colorado Lottery Starburst Award, Pump Track Coming This Summer

Rico got $595K in state grants for a brownfield park in 2024, but its pump track still hasn't broken ground, and the town hasn't said publicly what it expects the investment to deliver.

Marcus Williams2m read
Durango Drone Program Locates Missing Autistic Boy Near Animas River
Government

Durango Drone Program Locates Missing Autistic Boy Near Animas River

A Durango drone found a missing 12-year-old autistic boy within steps of the Animas River in minutes, raising urgent questions about whether Dolores County could replicate the outcome.

James Thompson3m read
Montezuma Commissioners Reject Summer Meal Program Serving Dolores County Children
Government

Montezuma Commissioners Reject Summer Meal Program Serving Dolores County Children

Montezuma commissioners voted unanimously to reject a nine-week meal program, leaving roughly 75 Dolores County children without 45 summer lunches each.

James Thompson2m read
Durango blotter logs abandoned rooster, dead chickens, ATV traffic complaints
Community

Durango blotter logs abandoned rooster, dead chickens, ATV traffic complaints

A rooster was dumped at Pastorius Reservoir, a dog was reported killing chickens on County Road 311, and two older men on ATVs blocked Pine Ridge Drive, La Plata County blotter shows.

Sarah Chen2m read
Durango Plans Water Restrictions as Severe Drought Grips Southwest Colorado
Government

Durango Plans Water Restrictions as Severe Drought Grips Southwest Colorado

Durango announced its first-ever mandatory water restrictions as McPhee Reservoir sits near historic lows, signaling a punishing season ahead for all of Southwest Colorado.

James Thompson3m read
La Plata Coroner Identifies Driver Killed in Highway 550 Head-On Crash
Government

La Plata Coroner Identifies Driver Killed in Highway 550 Head-On Crash

Alixzander Thomsen, 34, of Ouray was killed when his Dodge Caravan drifted into oncoming traffic near mile marker 103 on U.S. 550 Monday; all three occupants were unrestrained in a vehicle with no rear seat.

James Thompson2m read
Lemon Reservoir Reaches 82% Capacity, Boosting Southwest Colorado Irrigation Hopes
Community

Lemon Reservoir Reaches 82% Capacity, Boosting Southwest Colorado Irrigation Hopes

Lemon Reservoir hit 82% capacity on October rain, not snowpack — but with the regional basin at just 19.5% of median snowpack, Dolores County hay producers face a shrinking irrigation window.

Sarah Chen2m read
Clearnetworx Outage Cuts Internet Access Across Four Southwest Colorado Cities
Business

Clearnetworx Outage Cuts Internet Access Across Four Southwest Colorado Cities

A Clearnetworx circuit failure knocked roughly 4,300 customers offline Monday across Durango, Cortez, Farmington and Pagosa Springs for about 3½ hours.

Sarah Chen1m read
Bayfield School District Loses 15 Employees to Buyouts Amid Budget Shortfall
Education

Bayfield School District Loses 15 Employees to Buyouts Amid Budget Shortfall

Bayfield School District approved 15 of 17 buyout requests, projecting $1.39M in savings as enrollment declines and flat state funding squeeze the district's budget.

Sarah Chen5m read
Dolores Schools Open Kindergarten Registration, Invite Community to Sign New High School Beam
Education

Dolores Schools Open Kindergarten Registration, Invite Community to Sign New High School Beam

Kindergarten registration opens April 23 at Dolores Elementary's Little Bear Gym, and a community beam-signing marks a major milestone in the new high school's rise.

Lisa Park3m read
Empire Electric Raises Rates for Dolores County Customers Starting April 2026
Business

Empire Electric Raises Rates for Dolores County Customers Starting April 2026

Empire Electric now charges Dolores County customers $231.15 per month just to stay connected to the grid, before a single kilowatt-hour registers.

Sarah Chen2m read
La Plata County Updates Plan to Align Growth with Water Supply
Government

La Plata County Updates Plan to Align Growth with Water Supply

La Plata County is tying new development to verified water supply under a state mandate, setting a regional precedent that Dolores County, facing chronic McPhee shortfalls, cannot afford to ignore.

Marcus Williams2m read
Rising Fuel Costs Squeeze Durango Businesses, Services, and Government Operations
Business

Rising Fuel Costs Squeeze Durango Businesses, Services, and Government Operations

Durango set a local fuel record of $4.356 per gallon as Animas Transportation weighs its first rate hike in years and Lucky Services workers push back on long-distance jobs.

Sarah Chen3m read
Dove Creek anchors Dolores County economy, pinto bean industry central
Business

Dove Creek anchors Dolores County economy, pinto bean industry central

Dove Creek, the statutory town and county seat of Dolores County, anchors the local economy through pinto bean production, processing operations, county government and school services. Its location on U.S. Highway 491 and proximity to the Dolores River basin and public lands shape transportation, tourism and seasonal labor patterns that matter to residents and local businesses.

Sarah Chen2m read
Spring Health Fair Offers Free Vaccines, Screenings in Cortez April 18
Healthcare

Spring Health Fair Offers Free Vaccines, Screenings in Cortez April 18

No insurance billing, free vaccines and seven lab panels: Southwest Health System brings its Spring Health Fair to Cortez on April 18.

Lisa Park2m read
Dove Creek Releases 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for Public Review
Government

Dove Creek Releases 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for Public Review

Dove Creek's tap water report for 2025 is now public; contact Lorraine Hancock at 970-677-2255 with questions or to weigh in on water-system planning.

James Thompson2m read
Dunton Hot Springs Fuels Heritage Tourism and Local Economy Debate
Business

Dunton Hot Springs Fuels Heritage Tourism and Local Economy Debate

Dunton Hot Springs, a former 19th-century mining settlement homesteaded in 1885, was redeveloped in the 1990s into a private luxury resort centered on rustic cabins and mineral springs. Its remote location, about 6 miles northwest of Rico at roughly 8,900 feet on the West Fork of the Dolores River, makes the site both an economic asset and a policy challenge for Dolores County residents.

Sarah Chen2m read
Southern Glazer's Acquisition of Eagle Rock Triggers 526 Colorado Layoffs, Including Durango
Business

Southern Glazer's Acquisition of Eagle Rock Triggers 526 Colorado Layoffs, Including Durango

526 Eagle Rock workers in Colorado, including Durango, face June 5 layoffs on paper; Southern Glazer's says it plans to keep them after acquiring the company's Colorado operations.

Sarah Chen3m read
SMPA Proposes Battery Microgrid to Shield Rico From Extended Power Outages
Government

SMPA Proposes Battery Microgrid to Shield Rico From Extended Power Outages

Rico's single power line has no local backup; a 1,500-KWh SMPA battery could keep the fire station and town grid lit for up to six hours when that line fails.

James Thompson2m read
Dolores Water Board to Address Leases, Rates, and Canal Rights in April Meeting
Government

Dolores Water Board to Address Leases, Rates, and Canal Rights in April Meeting

The Dolores water board meets April 9 to vote on an M&I lease that could shift irrigation water to municipalities, set FSA rates, and take up due diligence on Main Canal rights.

Marcus Williams2m read
Senate Committee Unanimously Advances Dolores River Conservation Area Bill
Government

Senate Committee Unanimously Advances Dolores River Conservation Area Bill

A Senate panel unanimously cleared the Dolores River NCA bill Dec. 17, but the measure still needs a full Senate vote and has no House sponsor yet.

Maria Santos4m read
Durango Group Pushes Ordinance to Limit Police License Plate Reader Use
Government

Durango Group Pushes Ordinance to Limit Police License Plate Reader Use

A Durango group wants to cut police license plate data retention from 30 days to 72 hours and require warrants — with Dolores County drivers' movements already logged in the system.

James Thompson2m read