Pagosa Springs Daily Digest Thursday, August 13, 2026
Ty's Take
Road work on 160 never seems to end around here, and this time the county's signaling it might chase federal money to help patch things together. Meanwhile, the state's rolling out a water contribution program, which ought to get everyone's attention in a place where water rights have always been worth more than the land they sit on. Throw in talk of oil and gas leasing on public land nearby, volunteer training at Four Mile Ranch, and a fire district planning to mark 9/11 with a memorial hike, and you've got the usual mix of infrastructure headaches and community grit that keeps Archuleta County moving forward. The high school Pirates are ready to golf their season open, sales tax collections are ticking up for the second time this year, and the school district's putting on SpongeBob. Life in the high country keeps its pace.
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Pagosa Springs SUN
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Historical records from Pagosa Springs show that in 1926, Chas. A. Day was nominated as the Republican candidate for representative covering Hinsdale, Archuleta and Mineral counties, while in 1951 the town board oversaw street graveling projects and discussed fire truck regulations, and in 1976...
U.S. 160 reconstruction information
U.S. 160 reconstruction work in Pagosa Springs continues with multiple project areas including sidewalk and utility work along the overlook parking lot, North 7th Street, and North 3rd Street, with officials warning pedestrians to avoid barricades and use designated crosswalks at 4th, 7th and 8th...
County to pursue FLAP grant for road improvements
Archuleta County commissioners unanimously approved pursuing federal grant funding to address erosion damage on County Road 500, pave one mile of County Road 600 from the end of current asphalt to Bennet Hill, and pave 1.9 miles of County Road 302, with potential federal funding covering up to 100...
Colorado prepares for launch of water contribution program
Colorado is launching a water contribution program to encourage voluntary reductions in Colorado River water use, with the federal government making $100 million available to upper basin states as part of ongoing efforts to manage severe drought and reservoir shortages. The program represents one...
Volunteer training planned at Four Mile Ranch
Four Mile Ranch seeks volunteer educators for its popular fall field trip program that serves over 800 regional elementary students annually, offering a 3.5-day training beginning August 24 at the Ross Aragon Community Center and continuing on-site at Four Mile Ranch through August 27. Volunteers...
Pagosa Fire Protection District to host 9/11 memorial hike
The Pagosa Fire Protection District is hosting a 5-kilometer memorial hike on Reservoir Hill starting at 6:45 a.m. on September 11 to honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11, with participation fees of $40 benefiting the Tunnels To Towers Foundation that supports veterans and firefighters. Participants...
Pirates set to tee off season with trio of tournaments
Pagosa Springs High School's golf team, led by Coach Mark Faber and assistant Carlos Martinez, is opening the season with three tournaments starting August 14 at the Alamosa Invite at Cattails Golf Course. The Pirates roster includes returning standouts like junior state qualifier Tyler Dimond and...
BLM invites additional public feedback for December oil and gas lease sale in Colorado
The Bureau of Land Management opened a 30-day public comment period through September 11 on plans to include 113 oil and gas parcels totaling 126,445 acres in Colorado, including parcels in Archuleta County, in a December lease sale. Members of the public can submit comments through the BLM's...
Month-to-month sales tax collections up for second time this year
Archuleta County sales tax collections rose 1.63 percent in June compared to the previous year, bringing in approximately $28,804 more with the Town of Pagosa Springs and county combined receiving $1,794,235.94. Year-to-date figures through June show a 2.51 percent decrease compared to the same...
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Pagosa Daily Post
EDITORIAL: Archuleta County Hints at Plans to Discontinue Road Maintenance, Part Three
An Archuleta County editorial raises concerns that the county is confused about its own road maintenance policies, noting that Secondary Roads have received some capital improvements in violation of a 2017 resolution limiting them to minimal maintenance only. The piece points out that subdivisions...
Same Knee Surgery, Twice the Price: Hospital Monopolies Push Up Healthcare Costs, Part Two
A two-part national story examines hospital consolidation using Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina as a case study, describing how a 1998 merger created a monopoly that has led to dramatically higher surgical costs compared to unaffiliated facilities. One patient found a meniscus removal...
READY, FIRE, AIM: Dr. Fauci Pleads the Fifth
A Pagosa Daily Post opinion column humorously reflects on Dr. Anthony Fauci's invocation of the Fifth Amendment 111 times during a July 29 Senate hearing, while discussing Americans' various constitutional and natural rights in the country.
Lake Mead Hits Record Low Water Level, August 2026
Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir, has dropped to its lowest water level since filling 90 years ago, reaching just 27 percent capacity with water levels lower than they have been since April 1937, according to reports from August 2026. The water shortage affecting seven U.S. states and Mexico...
Voting Now Open for Seeds Fundraiser ‘Hometown Voices & Nashville Stories’
Seeds of Learning is hosting its Hometown Voices and Nashville Stories fundraiser on August 24 at the Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts, featuring local performers competing in a singing competition with online voting at one dollar per vote. Nashville songwriters and Hall of Fame creators will...
Archuleta School District to Present ‘SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition’
Archuleta School District will present The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition featuring a cast of 40 fifth- through ninth-grade students plus three high school interns at Pagosa Springs High School auditorium August 13 through 15. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, with shows Thursday at...
HEALTHY ARCHULETA: 10-Week Child-Parent Relationship Therapy Program
Healthy Archuleta is offering a 10-week Child-Parent Relationship Therapy program this fall at the Middle School, with sessions available in both English and Spanish to help parents and caregivers of children ages 3 to 10 strengthen their relationships through play-based activities. The program...
Conservative Group’s ‘Right to Natural Gas’ Initiative Makes Colorado Ballot
Initiative 177, backed by the conservative group Advance Colorado, qualified for Colorado's November ballot after submitting enough valid signatures, proposing a constitutional amendment that would guarantee consumers the right to purchase natural gas and distributors the right to sell it. The...
OPINION: A Drought in Ranching Opportunities in the American West
A Colorado rancher writes that first-generation ranchers face significant barriers to accessing grazing land, as private leases rarely become available outside established family networks and public land systems favor existing permit holders. The author describes struggling to secure new grazing...
ESSAY: ‘The Blanket’ by Mike Lasusa
Journalist Mike Lasusa, based in Lakewood outside Denver, operates The Blanket, an independent digital news outlet focused on Colorado's biggest challenges with emphasis on solutions and accountability. His recent reporting has examined topics including federal immigration crackdowns, a potential...
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