Commissioner Daniel helps secure Shoshone Water Protection

Mesa County is celebrating a major milestone for western Colorado’s water future. On Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, Commissioner Bobbie Daniel joined water leaders from across the state in Golden as the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) voted unanimously to accept the Shoshone Water Rights into the state’s Instream Flow Program — a historic step decades in the making.

This latest stride brings western Colorado one step closer to ensuring the permanent protection of the most senior non-consumptive water rights on the Colorado River, which are crucial to the region's ecological and economic stability.

One of the defining moments of the meeting came when Commissioner Daniel reiterated Mesa County’s position that the Shoshone Water Rights must be jointly managed by the Colorado River District and the CWCB to ensure the West Slope has a meaningful, durable voice in how the rights are administered. 

"If joint management is not adopted, Mesa County will withdraw its support for this acquisition," Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel said, as reported by The Colorado Sun. "It's not out of anger or politics, but because anything less would fail the people that we serve." 

Her remarks underscored the County’s long-held commitment to protecting West Slope water from potential future pressures, particularly from interests outside the basin. Ultimately, the CWCB adopted the co-management approach — a decision widely celebrated by western Colorado partners.

“These flows are the future of our families and communities,” she said. “Mesa County is proud to stand with our West Slope partners in this historic step toward protecting the Colorado River for generations to come.”

You can stay updated on this critical effort as it evolves at coloradoriverdistrict.org/.

Watch the full meeting unfold at youtube.com/live/348jkEilFuw?si=YYZtFte5o7VT6WK-.