Water Restrictions

For the past few months, the oldest water right on the Colorado was being diverted from the Western Slope to fill reservoirs on the Front Range. Denver Water’s Shoshone Call Relaxation Agreement ended on May 20th, but the West’s water problems are still looming. On Friday, the Bureau of Reclamation released $40 million to the Colorado River District to purchase the Shoshone water rights, a step towards preserving the Western Slope's water supply. KDNK’s Lily Jones spoke with the Colorado River District’s Lindsay DeFrates to get the details.

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After a long summer of drought and enormous wildfires, Western Slope water is top of mind for many. In January, the Biden administration pledged $40 million to the Western Slope’s purchase of the Shoshone Water Rights in Glenwood Canyon; it was withdrawn that same month by the Trump administration. Congressman Jeff Hurd was questioned during a recent telephone town hall about the long contested-Shoshone water rights.

Water negotiators from states around the Southwest said they are planning to submit separate proposals to the Bureau of Reclamation about managing the Colorado River after 2026.

Two mudslides in Glenwood Canyon shut down I70 over the weekend and put Glenwood Springs residents on water restrictions. KDNK’s Amy Hadden Marsh has more.

Sopris Sun editor William Grandbois and reporter Megan Tackett are joined by Kevin Schorzman, director of Carbondale Public Works, and Scott Fitzwilliams,…