Snake Valley Census Data

I regularly get asked how many people live in Baker. I usually say about 150-200, but I realized that we actually have the data to be more accurate. From the 2010 Census Data, here are the populations in Snake Valley (click on the number to get to the actual census data):

* zip code 89311 (Baker): 235
* Baker CDP (which I think means just the main town and not south Baker, Groovy View Estates, or other outlying ranches and homes given the number of people they counted by age category): 68
* zipcode 84728 (Garrison, EskDale, and Gandy): 158

Unfortunately it's harder to get the data for north Snake Valley. When I tried Partoun, Trout Creek, and Callao, I got a return with something out of state. When I used zipcode 84083, the result is 1516, but this includes West Wendover. Maybe someone else knows how to find that data.

It's fun to look a little more into the data:

For zip code 89311, the median age is 47.9, and 79.3% of the population has attained high school education or greater. The number of veterans who live here is 26, 0% of the population lives below the poverty level, and 0% born in another country. Of course, all this data should be taken with a grain of salt, as it says we have 0% Latinos in the community, and we know that certainly isn't true.

For zip code 84728, the median age is 36.0 (wow, such young'uns just on the other side of the state line!), with 62.0% holding a high school diploma, 0 veterans, and 26 foreign born.

For both zip codes, no children had been born within the last 12 months, according to the data (although a look around the community shows that 2009 and 2010 produced a good crop of kids).

I spent some time trying to find older census data, but got frustrated with being led in circles around the Internet. If you know how to compare how these areas have changed populations over the years, please leave a comment. I did find lots of numbers from other web sites about the populations that didn't match what the census data said. One site said that Baker's population was 154, and it probably got that number from another site that ranked Baker as the 154th largest town in the state of Nevada with a population of 235.

Well, there might not be many of us out here (I think the population density for the 89311 area code is 0.1 people per square mile), but we are still here!

Arachnid BioBlitz a Success

 Great Basin National Park recently held an Arachnid BioBlitz to learn more about the spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks that live in the park. The three-day event attracted scientists, naturalists, and a few arachnophobes. However, even those scared of spiders gained a new appreciation for them.

Some Snake Valley residents even tried holding a spider!

For more on the BioBlitz and what was learned, check out this Ely Times article.

Mr. and Ms. Snake Valley

As part of the Snake Valley Festival, the first-ever Mr. and Ms. Snake Valley Pageant was held. Aileen organized the event into four age groups: 0-10, 11-20, 21-60, and over 60. To compete, each contestant had to compete in formal and/or outdoor wear and do a talent. Oh yeah, it cost a $1 to enter. 

 Here are the winners for the kids age group: Matthew and Ava. They loved their crowns!

 All the kids who participated got prizes.

 One of the talents: a somersault.

 In the older categories, one talent was to put up a tent in a minute. I think I forgot to mention that the talent was limited to one minute and could not include singing, dancing, or playing a musical instrument. That made for some entertaining talents!

 "The Look"

 Hula-hooping

"The Stroll" 

 Making a peanut butter sandwich blindfolded

 The winners for the teen category: Zeke and Tori! Zeke won a cool snake belt buckle and Tori won a manicure from Buffy.

Joseph won Mr. Snake Valley and a $25 gift certificate from D-Bar X Meats.

 There was a tie for Ms. Snake Valley: Gretchen and Carolyn. Prizes were a free lunch to Lehman Caves Cafe and a massage from Jenny.

It was getting too late for the Senior Mr. Snake Valley, so Tom had to accept the prize for his dad, a book donated by Range Magazine. And no Senior Ms. Snake Valleys competed--ladies, come give it a try next year!

Thanks to all the sponsors and to Aileen! It was a really fun event, and plans are to include it again next year. There's plenty of time to practice that one-minute talent!

Black Fire

Black Fire No Threat to Public, Smoke Visible

Ely – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District wants residents of Baker, Nev., and Garrison, Utah, to be aware that they may occasionally see smoke from the 350-acre Black Fire that is burning on public lands in Black Canyon, about three miles southeast of Great Basin National Park within the Highland Ridge Wilderness.   The lightning-ignited fire poses no threat to human life or property.

The BLM is managing the fire in accordance with the Ely District Managed Natural and Prescribed Fire Plan, which identifies areas where allowing wildland fire to resume its natural role in the ecosystem would benefit resources.  The plan increases native vegetative diversity and improves wildlife habitat.  It also increases public and firefighter safety, and reduces the threat of catastrophic wildfire.

Assisting the Ely District is the Unaweep Wildland Fire Module (WFM), of Grand Junction, Colo.  The Unaweep WFM is a 7-person crew that supports national interagency programs with the use of fire, including prescribed fire and wildfire, and hazardous fuels reduction and other projects.

For more information, contact Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely District fire information officer, at (775) 289-1842 orchanefel@blm.gov.