Permanent protection of the Shoshone Flows will secure multiple benefits to the West Slope and across the state such as:

Agricultural Benefits: Shoshone flows support Colorado’s $11.9 billion agricultural economy in a number of important ways. Water security for Western Slope agriculture is intimately linked to the Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program where continued cooperative water management allows for streamlined ESA compliance. According to Colorado’s Division of Water Resources, without Shoshone flows, the downstream Cameo call would be longer and deeper each year (up to 2,260 cfs vs. 1,950 cfs), triggering less opportunity for agricultural diversions, a greater frequency of April calls, and an insufficient replacement of supplies for some West Slope augmentation plans. Furthermore, the historical flow regime that the Shoshone call ensures in the Colorado River creates higher water quality for irrigators up and down the mainstem which brings greater agricultural production.

Water Quality Improvements: Communities large and small along the Colorado River mainstem benefit from the enhanced water quality Shoshone flows provide, diluting salinity and sediment in source drinking water for towns like New Castle, Silt, Rifle, Parachute, Battlement Mesa, and DeBeque. Without the higher flows of clean and cold headwater sourced supplies provided by the Shoshone call, a higher concentration of salinity and other water quality constituents creates increased costs for municipal drinking and wastewater treatment.

Ecosystem Benefits: Over 250 miles of the Colorado River mainstem experience a benefit when Shoshone water rights are being administered, preserving aquatic habitat that would otherwise be diminished by the decrease in flows. Preservation of the Shoshone water rights also supports the recovery of Colorado’s four threatened and endangered fish species, especially in dry years. Overall, the Shoshone water rights provide well-timed flows in the 15-Mile Reach, a stretch of critical habitat in the Grand Valley, during important shoulder and late irrigation seasons when the river is prone to higher temperatures and lower flows, as well as during the winter months. These flows preserve the natural baseflow of the river, which supports the success of the Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance a successful program provides.

Recreation Economy: Shoshone flows benefit Colorado communities both upstream and downstream of the call. Colorado’s robust recreational economy relies heavily on the Colorado River mainstem, with Shoshone flows strengthening the state’s iconic river recreation industry throughout Grand, Summit, Eagle, Garfield, and Mesa counties. River recreation in Colorado contributes $14.6 billion annually to the state’s GDP, with nearly $4 billion coming directly from the Colorado River basin on the Western Slope. As temperatures rise and streams diminish, Shoshone permanency provides security for this economic industry, protecting the recreational fishery and boating that sustain local businesses and attract water-based recreators.

Maintaining Stream Flow Through Upper Colorado River Wild & Scenic Alternative Management Plan River Sections: The Shoshone water rights command higher flows and associated lower water temperatures through key segments with recreational fishing and wildlife habitat identified as Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORVs) of the Upper Colorado River. The Upper Colorado River Wild & Scenic Stakeholder Group’s Alternative Management Plan lists the Shoshone water right as one of four long-term protection measures for the streamflow influenced ORVs – thus providing a critical role in removing the burdens of a potential federal Wild and Scenic designation on the Colorado River from Kremmling to No Name.