Click the link to read the article on the Aspen Daily News website. Here’s an excerpt:
April 26, 2024
During their respective board meetings on Tuesday, Grand County committed $1 million through their Open Lands, Rivers and Trails grant fund; Eagle County expressed its intent to commit $2 million; and Mesa County, $1 million, the press release said. As longtime partners in the Shoshone Water Right Preservation Coalition, these counties represent some of the most populous Western Slope communities from the Colorado River’s headwaters to the state line…
The owner of the Shoshone rights is entitled to “call” for up to 1 million acre-feet of Colorado River water a year. When the Shoshone right calls, some upstream users must leave water in the river so it runs down to Glenwood Canyon, boosting flows. The hydro plant uses the water for power generation and then returns it to the river, meaning the rights also benefit flows downstream of the plant. While Xcel would continue using the water for power production after the sale, the river district is also seeking an instream flow agreement with the state of Colorado, which would allow it to use the water rights simply to prop up river flows even when the plant’s turbines are inactive.