On May 22, Colorado 3rd Congressional District Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Grand Junction, announced the release of $40 million to the Colorado River District (CRD) for the purchase and permanent protection of the Shoshone Water Rights. This funding release marks a milestone in the Colorado River District campaign, which was officially launched in December 2023, when CRD and Xcel Energy finalized a purchase and sale agreement for the water rights tied to hydroelectric power production at the Shoshone Power Plant in Glenwood Canyon.
CRD and a coalition of western Colorado water groups and local governments had been strategizing how to preserve the Shoshone Water Rights for over two decades by the time the agreement was signed. The set price for the purchase is $99 million.
“With the release of the $40 million from the Department of Interior, we have received financial commitments of $97.3 million towards the $99 million purchase price,” CRD told The Sopris Sun in a statement. “A diverse coalition of 40 different Western Slope entities, including water entities, local governments, as well as state and regional organizations have helped to raise that amount.”
Efforts are ongoing for the final $1.7 million, CRD said.
“Our staff is in touch with other local governments who have expressed interest in helping get this funding across the finish line,” the district said, adding that “momentum behind this effort is strong.”
Finalizing the purchase entails four contingencies specified within the 2023 purchase and sale agreement, funding being one of them. According to CRD, the other three conditions are: “Colorado Water Conservation Board acceptance of our instream flow proposal, completed November 2025; the successful completion of a water court change-of-use case, filed in November 2025; and [Colorado] Public Utility Commission approval of Xcel’s use of funds from the sale.” CRD anticipates that the change-of-use case will require several years to complete.
The $40 million in federal funds were originally awarded through the Inflation Reduction Act at the end of the Biden administration. CRD said the funds “must be fully contracted by Sept. 30 … We are already working closely with the Bureau of Reclamation to finalize the funding contract by that date.”
CRD also recognized Colorado elected officials for their efforts around this funding.
“The support of our full congressional delegation — and our entire coalition — has been essential in laying the groundwork needed to secure funding at the scale required to address the West’s water challenges,” CRD said. The district specifically recognized Hurd, Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Lafayette, and Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper for their work on Colorado water rights.
CRD has been working to pur-
chase the Shoshone Water Rights because they “are some of the largest and most senior water rights on the Colorado River,” the district said. “On the Western Slope, our local agriculture, drinking water, recreation economy and ecosystem health all depend on the historic flows protected by those rights.”
Purchasing and preserving the water rights protects water availability for the Western Slope, according to the organization.
“Adding the ability to exercise these water rights for instream flow purposes ensures that these water rights will not be lost to the Front Range,” the district said, “which would create sweeping negative impacts to the water users both upstream and down — from the headwaters in Grand County all the way down to the border with Utah and beyond. By permanently protecting those flows, we are protecting the river not only for today, but for the next generation.”
“The Shoshone Water Rights Preservation project has been a testament to what a strong coalition can accomplish regardless of the current climate, political or otherwise,” the district said, adding that “A diverse coalition — representing water users across all sectors, strong rural communities, statewide interests and voices from both sides of the political aisle — can still accomplish incredible things, and we are deeply grateful for the support we’ve received.”
The Shoshone Water Rights Preservation Coalition includes water providers, local governments and regional entities, along with the State of Colorado and a bipartisan group of elected officials. Learn more at keepshoshoneflowing.org