Colorado's top water board - The Colorado River Water Conservation District - agreed earlier this month to a hearing regarding the Front Range concerns over a Western Slope plan to purchase Colorado River water rights.

 

A $99 million deal to purchase water rights tied to the old Shoshone Power Plant was negotiated by the district which represents 15 counties. Now, the River District and the Front Range groups all want to maintain the flows past Shoshone - which is owned by Xcel Energy - in order to protect predictable water supply. While the Western Slope supports it, the Front Range is alarmed as they fear that this could alter the current water flow structure and threaten water availability in times of drought.

In a June 9 letter, Denver Water said, "The proposal will change, rather than maintain, the status quo in ways that would hurt Denver Water's ability to provide water to the 1.5 million people we serve during severe or prolonged drought.''

The Front Range water management asked the Conservation Board to hold a hearing which will be held during the meeting period Sept. 16 through 18. The hearing is a part of a larger hearing on how water rights can become an environmental water right, known as instream flow right. This legal mechanism allows water to remain in a body of water because it protects or enhances the natural environment.