What to know about Dolores County towns: Dove Creek, Rico, Cahone, Stoner

Dove Creek is the county seat and the largest town in Dolores County, hosting municipal offices, a clinic, court, fuel and retail that anchor county government meetings and community events. The county recorded a 2020 population of 2,326 and covers 1,064 square miles with elevations from Disappointment Valley at 5,900 feet to Mount Wilson at 14,046 feet.

Public land dominates local geography, but sources differ on extent: the Town of Dove Creek website states approximately 60 percent of the county is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, a travel guide notes that 50 percent is government-owned forestland within the San Juan National Forest, and the county CEDS update lists 329,492 acres owned by the United States Forest Service and 88,283 acres owned by the Bureau of Land Management or the state. The CEDS text also warns that federal agency decisions can directly affect the local economy, noting that listing the Sage Grouse as a threatened species could impact agriculture, recreation, and development.

Dove Creek retains a strong agricultural identity. The town is “Known as the 'Pinto Bean Capital of the World'” and is “home to the delicious Pinto and Anasazi Bean.” Town promotional material urges visitors, “Be sure to stop by the Adobe Milling on your way through town and see just how delicious these beans are!” Outdoor recreation near Dove Creek includes the Dolores River Overlook about 10 miles from town, the Dolores Canyon Overlook, and multi-day Dolores River trips described as “Known as one of the most remarkable multi-day river trips in the U.S.” with the whitewater feature called the infamous "Snagletooth."

Rico is identified in county planning material as “the small former mining town of Rico, which now serves primarily as a bedroom community for Telluride (located in San Miguel County).” Infrastructure in Rico remains largely septic-based; municipal planning language states, “In Dove Creek there are municipal sewage treatment facilities. Rico and many rural residents have their own septic systems, although Rico is working towards providing sewer to residents.” Rico also maintains a local Fire Protection District and local telephone service via Rico Telephone.

Unincorporated Cahone is named for local solid waste operations: “The area is served by Waste Management, Rowe & Sons, County Wide disposal, and the Transfer Station at Cahone is operated by Bruin Waste Management.” Region planning materials note population declines in unincorporated areas, particularly around Cahone, between 2010 and 2019. The community of Stoner does not appear in the provided records and no town-level services, population, or infrastructure details are available in the sourced excerpts.

Public safety and communications are countywide priorities: “The Dolores County Sheriff’s Dept. provides public safety for the entire county. Fire Protection Districts are located in Dove Creek and Rico.” Telecommunications are mixed by location, with “Lumen, which was formerly Century Tel and Farmers Telephone” serving parts of the area and the Rico area served by Rico Telephone; broadband providers named in planning notes include “Farmers Telecommunications, & Zumacom offer internet services for the county,” and an incomplete reference to Emery Telecom appears in county excerpts.

Economic context in planning material and guides is stark: “In 2009, Dolores County became known as the most economically depressed county in Colorado.” Historic growth rates in the CEDS update show faster growth in earlier decades - county growth 2.3 percent annually from 1990 to 2000 - with Dove Creek and Rico slowing since 2010 to slight negative estimates. Several infrastructure items remain to verify locally, including the status of Rico sewer projects, precise public land acreage, broadband coverage and Stoner’s profile.