PRESS RELEASE: Shoshone Water Rights Are The Last Best Chance to Save The Colorado River

1/28/2026
For Immediate Release
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The World’s Rivers, 970-218-8310

Shoshone Water Rights Are The Last Best Chance to Save The Colorado River

Colorado River: Today, Save The World’s Rivers intervened in Colorado’s state water court system to protect the flow of water downstream across the West Slope.  Water court is considering how much of the Shoshone hydroelectric plant’s water rights will be transferred for “instream flow use” in the Colorado River.

Save The World’s Rivers previously intervened as a “party” in the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s process that successfully granted the transfer of water for instream flow use. Now, in water court, the question of “how much” water will be transferred will be addressed and answered.

During the CWCB’s process, Save The World’s Rivers supported the maximum transfer of water — 1,408 cubic feet per second, which equals 1.019 million acre feet/year — and will continue to advocate for the maximum transfer of water in the water court process.

“As the Colorado River basin gets warmer and drier, it will always be the River itself that suffers first and most. Ensuring the maximum instream flow use of this water right will protect the River forever,” said Gary Wockner, director of Save The World’s Rivers.

Save The World’s Rivers’ statement of opposition is posted here.

Save The World’s Rivers is represented in this matter by University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, Environmental Law Clinic.

***end***