The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board has awarded a total of $323,528 in Lottery funds to two projects in Delta County — $200,000 to Delta County for the expansion of the county fairgrounds, and $123,528 to the Town of Orchard City for the construction of a picnic pavilion at its town park.

With the help of its latest GOCO/Lottery grant, Delta County will purchase a 19-acre parcel that adjoins the Delta County Fairgrounds’ east boundary.

Expansion of the fairgrounds will result in new uses and enhance current ones, while also providing public access to roughly 1⁄4 mile of the North Fork of the Gunnison River for fishing and environmental education opportunities.

The Town of Orchard City will use its GOCO grant award towards the construction of a pavilion in its town park, which will hold 20 picnic tables and four barbecue grills, pathways, landscaping, irrigation and a parking lot. The pavilion will significantly increase the community’s outdoor recreational options, currently limited to those afforded by the town’s Field of Dreams Park and Sports Facility —another GOCO-funded project.

Statewide, the GOCO Board awarded $4.49 million for 44 projects. GOCO received a total of 92 applications requesting $8.17 million.

Great Outdoors Colorado is the result of a citizens’ initiative passed by Colorado voters in 1992. GOCO receives approximately $54 million annually from Lottery proceeds, and directs those funds to projects that protect and enhance Colorado’s parks, wildlife, trails, rivers and open space. Since 1994, projects in Delta County have been awarded more than $5.3 million in GOCO grants.

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