Any info on Arboles? (Denver, Durango: lawyer, agriculture, for sale)

[eddafarms]

My husband and I have a small horse ranch in So. Calif and are looking to buy a larger acreage farm in Colorado. We've visited Durango & Pagosa Springs a couple of times and love the area. A local realtor yesterday told me we could get a larger farm for a better price in Arboles. Anyone have any information on this town? We do find a farm for sale, very near Navajo Lake, for what appears to be a good price. Local shopping? Annual snowfall? Windy area? Population? We don't have kids so we'd like an area that is a bit more 'out there' than smack in the middle of a city. Thanks for any advice you may have!

[jazzlover]

Arboles is indeed in the more isolated portion of La Plata County, relatively speaking. You might want to check around to see how much coalbed methane gas drilling there is near the property. There has been a lot of that in the rural parts of La Plata County and it has created some water quality concerns. Arboles is a little lower and probably somewhat drier than Durango. Shopping is in either Durango, Pagosa Springs, or Aztec/Farmington--all a fair jaunt.

Arboles also sits in the middle of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The Southern Ute is sort of unique in that there are quite a few deeded inholdings within the reservation boundary. When I started going down to that area 40 years ago, the area around Arboles was mostly Utes, with the remainder of the population being Hispanic. A good friend of mine (Hispanic) was actually born in Arboles, though he and his family left there many years ago. I'm sure that there are more Anglos living in that area these days, but I would suspect it's still pretty heavy Ute and Hispanic. Cross over the state line into New Mexico southeast of Arboles and you are on the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation.

Finally, I give the same admonition about purchasing land anywhere in Colorado: ABSOLUTELY KNOW THE QUANTITY, QUALITY, AND SENIORITY OF THE WATER RIGHTS THAT YOU ARE PURCHASING WITH THE LAND. Water rights do NOT run with the land in Colorado. If you don't secure good water rights, the land is not worth much.

I used to love the area around Durango. As it seems you've found out, though, it has become an overpriced, overdeveloped, and--in my opinion--overrun area. If you like it now, you should have seen it when it actually WAS nice. I knew a good number of Durango natives over the years. As I have posted before, many of them have left because they don't like what their home town has become. Too bad. Paradise lost.

[eddafarms]

THANK YOU jazzlover!! Exactly what I wanted to hear - funny you should mention water rights - where we live there is a SMALL indian reservation also. And they are suing the citizens of this town over water rights. I understand this issue is not a new one and that lawyers are canvassing the U.S. wanting all native americans to jump on-board. Seems our government gave them certain water rights 100 yrs ago, but due to growth nationwide they now believe they'll not have enough water in the future and want to have the government order us to put meters on our wells and pay THEM for the water that OUR wells tap into. We spent $35,000 on a well system 2 years ago........many folks out here are outraged and the town has hired a water-rights expert/attorney to represent us. It's hilarious because our small tribe don't do ANYTHING with their land other than operate a tiny casino - no hotel - no golf course, etc.

Can you recommend other areas in the southwest corridor that values would be a bit better - larger parcels, etc.? We do love Pagosa Springs and are still considering this area. Bayfield, or is urban sprawl soon to take over this town as well (like Durango)?

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by eddafarms

THANK YOU jazzlover!! Exactly what I wanted to hear - funny you should mention water rights - where we live there is a SMALL indian reservation also. And they are suing the citizens of this town over water rights. I understand this issue is not a new one and that lawyers are canvassing the U.S. wanting all native americans to jump on-board. Seems our government gave them certain water rights 100 yrs ago, but due to growth nationwide they now believe they'll not have enough water in the future and want to have the government order us to put meters on our wells and pay THEM for the water that OUR wells tap into. We spent $35,000 on a well system 2 years ago........many folks out here are outraged and the town has hired a water-rights expert/attorney to represent us. It's hilarious because our small tribe don't do ANYTHING with their land other than operate a tiny casino - no hotel - no golf course, etc.

Can you recommend other areas in the southwest corridor that values would be a bit better - larger parcels, etc.? We do love Pagosa Springs and are still considering this area. Bayfield, or is urban sprawl soon to take over this town as well (like Durango)?

The sprawl monster is alive and well out towards Bayfield. You might think about the area out around Cortez towards Dove Creek. A lot of that is dryland farms, but it isn't being impacted with growth like the area around Durango. I guess my opinion is, if you are looking to actually do something in agriculture beyond a "hobby farm," Durango is not the place. Frankly, there are not many areas west of the Front Range where true ag is still viable. Still some around Delta/Montrose, though being eaten up by rural sprawl fast; some around Dove Creek; and in the San Luis Valley. Farther north, still some big ranching areas around Gunnison, Middle Park (though Denver already owns a lot of the irrigation water rights there), the Yampa Valley, and North Park. That's about it.