Big Front Range water players are questioning a $99 million deal to purchase a historic Colorado River water right on the Western Slope, according to letters obtained through a public records request by The Colorado Sun. The Colorado River Water Conservation District, which is based in Glenwood Springs and safeguards water resources in western Colorado, is working with a collection of more than 20 partners to raise money to buy Shoshone Power Plant’s water rights from Xcel Energy. The rights are some of the oldest on the mainstem Colorado River in Colorado, and have supported communities and boosted the river’s flows for over a century. Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District says it’s not necessary to spend millions in taxpayer dollars on the deal, nor is it necessary for the River District to play such a central role. 

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