The question hanging over every kitchen table in Grand Junction isn’t about the price of gas or the state of the economy

Steamboat Springs —The question hanging over every kitchen table in Grand Junction isn’t about the price of gas or the state of the economy. It’s simpler, and far more terrifying.

If the river drops below 1,480 cubic feet per second, whose water wins?

For decades, the answer was the same. The Shoshone rights. Specifically, the 1902 right, which is older than almost anyone’s grandfather. These are non-consumptive rights, tied to a hydropower plant in Glenwood Canyon operated by Xcel Energy. Water is diverted, spun through turbines, and returned. But because the right is so senior, it commands the flow. When the river shrinks, junior rights — including those on the Western Slope and the massive transmountain diversions that feed the Front Range — take the hit.

That’s why the Colorado River Conservation Water District has spent years trying to buy them.

It wasn’t a quick fix. The district, representing 17 Western Slope counties, had to find common ground with people who usually disagree on everything. General Manager Andy Mueller called it “strange bedfellows” and “intense fellowship.” He made it clear during his keynote at the district’s annual water seminar in Grand Junction on Sept. 22 that the deal requires bipartisan support.

The deal itself is massive. In December 2023, the district agreed to purchase the rights from Xcel for $98.5 million. But the legal battle is just beginning. The case is now in Colorado Water Court, with a trial date set. Mueller said the district is pushing for mediation, hoping to solve the problem collaboratively.

But he didn’t mince words about what happens if they don’t.

“The west slope will not compromise our important values,” he said. “We’re gonna defend the west slope’s interest on this.”

And that’s the crux of it. This isn’t just about money. It’s about keeping the river alive. The Shoshone right supports the endangered fish recovery program. It supports clean drinking water in communities across the valley. It maintains the status quo of the river’s flow.

To lock that in, the district struck an instream flow agreement with the Colorado Water Conservation Board in November. This agreement takes the nonconsumptive right currently tied to the power plant and allows those same flows to remain in the river for an environmental purpose, regardless of what happens to the plant. Xcel plans to keep operating the facility, but the plant is old. It keeps tripping offline. This new right is a safety net against that uncertainty.

The Shoshone rights are among the oldest on the Colorado River, dating back to 1902 and 1929. For the district, gaining control of them assures permanency for the water that commands the river. It’s a historic bid, uniting unlikely allies to protect the lifeblood of western Colorado.