(This entry is AI generated from real questions about real events)
The 1980s in Colorado were marked by significant economic volatility, driven initially by an energy sector boom in oil and oil shale that collapsed mid-decade, leading to widespread job losses and population decline. In 1980, coal mining production in Colorado on the Western Slopes hit an all-time high as the United States became more dependent on domestic energy resources. However, this boom was short-lived; the economic downturn began in earnest when Exxon announced the closure of its oil shale development fields in Rio Blanco, Mesa, and Garfield counties in 1982, a day known as "Black Sunday," resulting in over 2,200 immediate layoffs and the abandonment of a $5 billion project. This event triggered a broader economic downturn, with the state losing 19,000 net jobs in 1982 alone and experiencing two recessions, the most severe economic period since the Great Depression.
Natural disasters compounded these economic strains. The catastrophic failure of Lawn Lake Dam on July 15, 1982, unleashed a 30-foot wall of water down the Cache la Poudre River, killing three people, destroying 13 bridges, and causing $31 million in property losses. In 1984, rapid snowmelt triggered widespread flooding and landslides across 15 Western Slope counties, particularly devastating Routt County with infrastructure damage and evacuations.
Urban development continued despite these hardships. On October 4, 1982, Denver opened its 16th Street Mall, a 1.2-mile pedestrian corridor designed to revitalize the downtown core and accommodate transit, drawing over 200,000 attendees to its inaugural event. In 1983, the opening night for Otello marked the first opera staged by Opera Colorado. That same year, Federico Peña won a tight runoff election to become mayor of Denver, becoming the city's first Hispanic mayor. He was inaugurated in July 1983. The year also saw the establishment of the Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs and the founding of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, approved by voters in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties.
Environmental and security controversies emerged at the Rocky Flats Plant near Denver, a key Cold War-era facility producing plutonium triggers for nuclear weapons, where operator Rockwell International faced mounting scrutiny for hazardous waste mishandling and safety lapses. In 1984, the United States Air Force began construction of Falcon Air Force Station near Colorado Springs.