The effort to obtain federal funding to help the Western Slope close the deal on acquiring significant Colorado River water rights has gained support from the state’s two U.S. senators and some of its members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and U.S. Reps. Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, Brittany Pettersen and Diana DeGette, all Democrats, have written to the federal Bureau of Reclamation in support of an application for funding to purchase water rights associated with the Shoshone hydroelectric power plant in Glenwood Canyon.
The Colorado River District has an agreement with Xcel Energy to buy the water rights for $99 million. They include rights dating back to 1902 and 1929, and totaling more than 1,400 cubic feet per second. Due to their seniority the rights help ensure flows of water to western Colorado that benefit downstream water users, recreational uses and the environment. The river district hopes to acquire the rights to ensure that such flows continue should the aging plant someday shut down. Otherwise the flows could be diverted upstream by junior water rights holders, including Front Range water entities.
