Investments Include $40 Million to Help Secure Shoshone Water Rights
Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper celebrated $152 million from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) for 17 Colorado projects to combat the Colorado River crisis, increase drought resiliency, and restore habitats and $18 million for drought mitigation in the Upper Rio Grande Basin. These investments were made possible through the $4 billion Bennet helped secure in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to address drought, restore the health of our watersheds, and invest in the future of the American West. Bennet and Hickenlooper sent letters to USBR in support of several of the projects awarded.
This funding comes from USBR’s Upper Colorado River Basin Environmental Drought Mitigation program, referred to as “Bucket 2E”.
“The Inflation Reduction Act provided historic funding to address drought, restore the health of our watersheds, and invest in the future of the American West. I’m glad the Biden-Harris administration answered our calls to support the water security of critical basins across the state from the Rio Grande Basin to Southwest Colorado,” said Bennet. “This funding will also bring us one step closer to securing the Shoshone water right on the Colorado River fulfilling a long-standing goal of Coloradans to protect the environmental, economic, and agricultural resources of the State’s namesake river.”
“We passed our historic Inflation Reduction Act to tackle the long-term aridification of the West head-on,” said Hickenlooper. “That’s exactly what these new federal investments do. They’ll preserve historical Colorado River flows, help manage drought impacts on Upper Basin ecosystems, and improve water supply resiliency on the Upper Rio Grande.”
In October 2024, Bennet and Hickenlooper urged USBR to support the Colorado River Water Conservation District’s application for federal funding to purchase two of the oldest water rights on the Colorado River mainstem in Colorado, known as the Shoshone Permanency Project. The Shoshone Permanency Project will benefit the Colorado River ecosystem, especially as Colorado and the West face unprecedented drought.
In addition to $4 billion in drought mitigation funding, Bennet and Hickenlooper also helped secure $8 billion for western water infrastructure, $10 billion for forests, and $19 billion for agricultural conservation in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
A full list of Colorado projects awarded is below.
| Project Title | Project Description | Funding amount |
| Shoshone Water Rights Preservation Project | This project will support the purchase of two of the oldest water rights on the Colorado River mainstem in Colorado, known as the Shoshone Permanency Project, to preserve the river’s historical flow. | $40 million |
| Addressing Drought Mitigation in Southwest Colorado | This project will support critical ecosystem and habitat restoration projects across six subbasins, addressing drought-related issues and providing cost-effective long-term environmental, ecosystem, and habitat benefits. | $25.6 million |
| Grand Mesa and Upper Gunnison Watershed Resiliency and Aquatic Connectivity Project | This project will implement watershed restoration actions to combat drought effects in western Colorado to enhance water quality, habitat resilience, and connectivity for aquatic species. | $24.3 million |
| San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District, Rio Grande Water Conservation District, and Conejos Water Conservancy Disrict | This project will address long-term drought in the Rio Grande Basin and increase water security in the region by improving operations and increasing reliability. | $18 million |
| Southern Ute Indian Tribe-Pine River Environment Drought Mitigation Project | This project will enhance ecosystem health in the Pine River watershed while addressing the impacts of prolonged drought | $16.7 million |
| Orchard Mesa Irrigation District Conveyance Upgrades for 15-Mile Reach Flow Enhancement | This project will convert open canals into pressurized pipelines, improving water delivery efficiency and reducing environmental stressors to support the recovery of endangered fish species by enhancing streamflow in the critical 15-mile reach of the Colorado River | $10.5 million |
| Enhancing Aquatic Habitat in Colorado River Headwaters | This project will restore stream habitats along the Fraser, Blue and Colorado rivers in Grand County, enhancing aquatic ecosystems through channel shaping and bank stabilization through collaboration with key conservation partners | $7 million |
| Yampa River/Walton Creek Confluence Restoration Project | This project will restore river and wetland ecosystems in Steamboat Springs through restoration of river and floodplain habitat and the rehabilitation of riparian and wetland areas thereby enhancing ecological health and promoting biodiversity. It addresses drought impacts by improving water quality, habitat complexity, and community resilience. | $5 million |
| Drought Resiliency on Western Colorado Conserved Lands | This project will implement various ecological restoration strategies, including the restoration of wetlands, reconnection of floodplains, the installation of erosion control structures to reduce sediment transport and enhance water quality, while promoting habitat restoration for at-risk species like the yellow-billed cuckoo and Gunnison sage- grouse | $4.6 million |
| Upper Colorado Basin Aquatic Organism Passage Program | This project will restore stream habitat in Grand County, promoting biodiversity and resilience against drought conditions while enhancing habitat connectivity and improving fish passage for native species, particularly Colorado River cutthroat trout | $4.2 million |
| Conversion of Wastewater Lagoons into Wetlands | This project will transform outdated sewer lagoons into wetlands, enhancing biodiversity and providing habitat for migratory waterfowl and endangered fish species in the town of Palisades. Once completed, the wetlands will improve water quality and increase native plant diversity, recharging groundwater and supporting up to 75% of commercially harvested fish. | $3 million |
| Fruita Reservoir Dam Removal | This project will remove a dam on Pinon Mesa, restoring wetlands and enhancing biodiversity and wildlife habitat while ensuring ecological resilience through water pooling, pipeline removal and comprehensive habitat restoration efforts. | $2.8 million |
| Monitoring and Quantifying the Effectiveness of Beaver Dam Analogs on Drought Influenced Streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin | This project will restore degraded headwater meadows by implementing structures that mimic the natural functions of beaver dams. These interventions enhance ecosystem resilience, improve water retention, and support native species | $1.9 million |
| Uncompahgre Tailwater Rehabilitation Project | This project will address habitat degradation, enhancing ecological health and recreational opportunities through rehabilitation of river habitat, restoration aging structures, and implementation of bank stabilization techniques | $1.8 million |
| Eagle River Habitat Improvement, Gypsum Ponds State Wildlife Area | This project will enhance Eagle River in Eagle County, improving fish habitat and increasing resilience to low flows and drought while supporting local ecosystems and enhancing water quality | $1.5 million |
| Orchard Mesa and Grand Valley Metering | This project will enhance water management in the Grand Valley through the installation of advanced metering technology and SCADA systems. This project addresses drought conditions by improving water use efficiency and supporting local aquatic ecosystems | $1.5 million |
| Habitat Restoration in the Gunnison Basin | This project will restore stream habitats in the Gunnison Basin, implementing low-tech restoration structures to enhance ecosystem resilience and support habitat for the endangered Gunnison Sage-Grouse | $750,000 |
| Cyanobacteria Monitoring and Treatment for Drought-driven Blooms in a High Elevation, Upper Colorado Reservoir to save Ecosystem Function | This project will restore aquatic health at Williams Fork Reservoir by deploying real-time water quality monitoring tools and implementing targeted hydrogen peroxide treatments to combat algal blooms. It enhances water quality management to protect ecosystems and support community recreational activities | $518,000 |