The beauty of Lake Dillon brings smiles to the faces of many, but to others, it brings back painful memories. To some, it symbolizes newness, growth, and development; to others, it recalls the death of a familiar, comfortable, and slower way of life. But, no matter how one feels about it or how one describes it, barring a major disaster, the dam and lake are here to stay. With it have come changes to a town's raison d'être, as well as in land use, recreation, scenic beauty, vegetation, stream flow, and wildlife, and the county's economy.