Six members of Colorado’s congressional delegation, including Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, have come out in support of a $99 million effort to secure historic Colorado River water rights, a move that would provide environmental benefits and protect Western Slope users from any potential future sale. Western Slope water agencies, including the Glenwood Springs-based Colorado River District, and the state have committed $56 million to purchase the water from Xcel Energy, which uses the water to operate its Shoshone hydropower plant in Glenwood Canyon.

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• The Daily Sentinel: Bennet, Hickenlooper, House members back funding bid for Shoshone water rights