The Tiny Power Plant That Shapes the Colorado River

When I lived in Colorado I frequently drove by the Shoshone power plant. Little did I know that it’s an integral part of the management of upper Colorado.

Head east from Glenwood Springs in western Colorado today, and you’ll encounter an isolated stretch of I-70 hugging the curves of the Colorado River. But 110 years ago, you would’ve hit “a thriving little city” of hundreds of people living in tents, nestled there between the high walls of the river canyon so its residents could build a hydroelectric plant.

That facility, the Shoshone power plant, still adds energy to the grid, but its true importance lies elsewhere: Shoshone is a cornerstone of the elaborate complex of water rights, laws, agreements and relationships that shape the management of the upper Colorado River.

LINK (via: Water Deeply)

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