Commissioners support a proposal to Colorado Water Conservation Board for Shoshone Water Rights

A letter to the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) in support of the Colorado River Conservation District (River District) and Public Service Company of Colorado’s (PSCo) Proposed Acquisition of Interest in the Shoshone Water Rights for Instream Flow (ISF) Use on the Colorado River was ratified at the Board of Mesa County Commissioners' June 10 public hearing. 

The proposed instream flow reach is the 2.4-mile stretch of the Colorado River between the Shoshone Power Diversion Dam and the Shoshone Power Plant Discharge Outlets in Glenwood Canyon (Shoshone Reach).

Mesa County has supported the purchase of these historical water rights and is in favor of the Colorado River Conservation District and Public Service Company of Colorado’s proposal. 

This historical opportunity has the potential to provide vital reliability to the Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program and offers essential reliability to communities dependent on the Colorado River for drinking water.

Read the full letter: 

Thank you for the opportunity to express our support for the proposed acquisition offered by the Colorado River Water Conservation District (“River District”) and Public Service Company of Colorado (“PSCo”) to the CWCB for an interest in the Shoshone Water Rights for Instream Flow (“ISF”) use on the mainstem of the Colorado River. The permanency, reliability, and assurance offered by this agreement cannot be understated. 

This historical opportunity has the potential to provide vital reliability to the Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program, ensuring continued operation in the critical 15-mile reach. The ability to safeguard important wildlife habitat and provide a better and more stable ecosystem for all species dependent on this crucial waterway is reason enough to support this proposal. 

However, the Shoshone water also offers essential reliability to communities dependent on the Colorado River for drinking water. It supports water users such as agricultural producers who face increasingly challenging conditions in ensuring food security and preserving an important piece of Western Colorado’s history and way of life. It provides for continued recreational opportunities which connect users to nature, improve mental and physical health, and contribute to Western Slope economies. 

The benefits of improving water quantity and quality to the Colorado River are multi-faceted and extend far beyond Western Colorado. We encourage your support of this proposal by the River District and PSCo and look forward to the positive impacts this will have for generations.  

You can find more information about the proposal and Mesa County’s letter of support on the Commissioners’ June 10 public hearing agenda, which can be found on our website at mesacounty.us under Public Hearing Information.