Koosharem is a town in

Sevier County, Utah Sevier County ( ) is a county in Utah, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 20,802. Its county seat and largest city is Richfield. History Evidence of indigenous peoples residing in Sevier County up to 5,000 ...

, United States. Koosharem is also known as "Grass Valley". It generally comprises the area known as Burrville, Utah on the north, south through the valley and through the town of Koosharem and down to the south end with the town of Greenwich, Utah. The valley is made up of private lands nestled within the Fishlake National Forest. Koosharem is situated at the cross-roads for travelers going between Capitol Reef National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park and/or Zion National Park. Koosharem is also the closest town to the famous Fish Lake. The town also serves as an important point along the many trails of th
Piute ATV Trail
System. Koosharem's only store, the histori
Grass Valley Mercantile
shares this secondary naming reference. The name of the town Koosharem originates from the Native Americans indigenous to the area, the Piute Indians and their term for the valley named for the deep red clover that grows in the lush meadows of the Koosharem Valley,. The population was 276 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²), all land. A 2008

annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

increased the population to an official estimate of 400. Koosharem has one church, a cemetery, baseball diamond, fire station, a dairy, a motel, two restaurants, and a store (post office located inside that store). Koosharem is rural and isolated but relatively centrally located. The table shows driving miles from the center of Koosharem to the following: Koosharem and the Grass Valley include habitat for threatened and endangered species. These species include the

Greater Sage Grouse The greater sage-grouse (''Centrocercus urophasianus''), also known as the sagehen, is the largest grouse (a type of bird) in North America. Its range is sagebrush country in the western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canad ...

, the

Utah Prairie Dog The Utah prairie dog (''Cynomys parvidens'') is the smallest species of prairie dog endemic to the south-central steppes of the American state of Utah. The species is listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with a status of Endangered. ...

, Pygmy Rabbit,

bald eagles The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

golden eagles The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...

western toad The western toad (''Anaxyrus boreas'') is a large toad species, between long, native to western North America. ''A. boreas'' is frequently encountered during the wet season on roads, or near water at other times. It can jump a considerable distan ...

ferruginous hawk The ferruginous hawk, (''Buteo regalis''), is a large bird of prey and belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks. An old colloquial name is ferrugineous rough-leg, due to its similarity to the closely related rough-legged hawk (''B. lagopus''). ...

Economy

The economy of Koosharem is primarily agriculture based. Koosharem does have other economic contributors including the

Sorenson's Ranch School Sorenson's Ranch School is a ranch school for struggling youth. Sorenson's Ranch School is located in Koosharem, Utah. Sorenson's Ranch School is a licensed residential treatment center A residential treatment center (RTC), sometimes called a ...

for troubled youth, ATV rentals, and tourism from the national parks, hunting and guiding, national forest (Fishlake National Forest) visitors, Paiute ATV Trail riders, and sight seers. Koosharem's reputation as world class wildlife destination got bolstered in 2008 when the world recor
"Spider Bull" Elk
was taken on the mountains just west of Koosharem.http://archive.thespectrum.com/article/20090403/LIFESTYLE05/904030329/World-record-elk-can-still-bagged-Utah

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 327 people residing in Koosharem, an 18.48% increase from 2000. In the 2000 census, there were 276 people, 88 households, and 79 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 497.1 people per square mile (190.3/km²). There were 133 housing units at an average density of 239.5 per square mile (91.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.93%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.45% Native American, 1.09%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.36%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.81% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.36% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 4.71% of the population. There were 88 households, out of which 46.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.1% were non-families. 9.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.30. In the town, the population was spread out, with 35.1% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $34,583, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $18,929 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $13,481. About 5.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 16.0% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 or over.

Education

Koosharem is located in the Sevier School District and has one elementary school.

References

External links