ley " ▁- ▁Asp en ▁- ▁and ▁" down - val ley " ▁- ▁Glen wood ▁Spr ings . ▁Mount ▁S op ris ▁domin ates ▁the ▁lower ▁( n orth west ) ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁valley ▁and ▁serves ▁as ▁an ▁uno fficial ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁Many ▁think ▁the ▁Ro aring ▁F ork ▁River , ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁valley ▁was ▁named , ▁is ▁the ▁uno fficial ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁The ▁politics ▁of ▁the ▁Ro aring ▁F ork ▁W aters hed ▁are ▁somewhat ▁complex , ▁ar ising ▁princip ally ▁from ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁waters hed ▁is ▁split ▁awk ward ly ▁among ▁four ▁different ▁count ies : ▁Pit kin ▁( A sp en ), ▁E agle ▁County ▁( Bas alt ), ▁Gar field ▁County ▁( G len wood ▁Spr ings , ▁Car b ond ale ), ▁and ▁G unn ison ▁County . ▁The ▁fragment ed ▁structure ▁is ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁nearby ▁E agle ▁Valley , ▁which ▁lies ▁entirely ▁within ▁E agle ▁County . ▁The ▁fragment ed ▁government al ▁structure ▁has ▁made ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁land - use ▁and ▁growth ▁policy ▁more ▁difficult , ▁especially ▁in ▁regard ▁to ▁Asp en , ▁which ▁has ▁strugg led ▁between ▁the ▁extrem es ▁of ▁allowing ▁un brid led ▁growth ▁leading ▁to ▁spraw l ▁and ▁restrict ing ▁growth ▁altogether . ▁Ro aring ▁F ork ▁Conserv ancy ▁works ▁on ▁river ▁and ▁water ▁issues ▁across ▁these ▁lines ▁and ▁the ▁Ro aring ▁F ork ▁W aters hed ▁Coll abor ative ▁ ▁works