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Grand County authorizes filing for party status in contested CWCB Shoshone in‑stream flow matter
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners voted July 1 to authorize Grand County to file for party status in a contested Colorado Water Conservation Board hearing over the Shoshone water rights in‑stream flow offer and directed staff and counsel to prepare pre‑hearing materials.
The Grand County Board of County Commissioners on July 1 authorized county staff to file for party status in a contested Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) proceeding over an in‑stream flow offer tied to the Shoshone senior water right on the Colorado River.
County Manager (unnamed) told the board CWCB staff recommended scheduling a contested hearing after Front Range water providers — Aurora Water, Colorado Springs Utilities, Denver Water and Northern Water — filed requests to contest aspects of the offer. The manager said the hearing would likely be scheduled with the CWCB board meeting slated for Sept. 16–18 in Durango. "We're requesting the Board of County Commissioners approve the Grand County file, the notice for party status, for the CWCB contested hearing," the County Manager said.
The contested issues, officials said, center on historic accounting of water volumes and whether certain compensatory or supplemental releases should be counted toward Shoshone's flow totals. County staff described technical disputes over how releases from reservoirs and historic exchanges are counted and said many of those arguments ultimately belong in water court but would be raised in pre‑hearing statements to the CWCB.
Commissioners voted to authorize filing the notice of party status and gave direction to the county manager and legal counsel to draft pre‑hearing materials and coordinate West Slope parties for the September proceeding. The board also agreed staff should return for review before final pre‑hearing submissions, noting those statements are typically due closer to the hearing date.
County officials said party status would allow Grand County to submit pre‑hearing statements and coordinate testimony with other West Slope entities and the Shoshone Coalition. The county emphasized these are preparatory procedural steps and that substantive resolution of historic accounting disputes would likely occur in water court.
The board gave the manager and legal counsel authority to proceed with drafting and, subject to later review, submitting materials required for party participation in the CWCB contested hearing.
