However, the boom did not last as the economy took a downturn and with it came the end of the need for the lower grade coal being mined at Carbonado and the timber being harvested for use in the settlements further up the valley. Since the decline of the mining era, Carbonado has experienced extreme shrinking and small booms ultimately ending with a steady population. All of the current residents work elsewhere and what was once an economic center for the valley is now a residential community. The railroad also pulled out and destroyed its towns quite recently. The Rails to Trails project has most of the actual rail line land in its possession.