Bennet Statement Welcoming Shoshone Permanency Project Funding After Years of Work

May 22, 2026 | Press Releases

Denver - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement on the newly released and overdue full funding of $40 million for the Shoshone Permanency Project:

"This is a big day for one of the most important water conservation efforts in our state's history. For more than a century, the Shoshone Water Rights have helped keep water flowing through our state's namesake river. These senior water rights are a lifeline for Colorado - providing certainty for farmers and ranchers, sustaining outdoor recreation, protecting wildlife habitat, and helping stabilize flows when the Colorado River runs low.

"The $40 million released today, coming from drought funding I secured in the Inflation Reduction Act, will protect the headwaters of the Colorado River Basin, the Western Slope economy, and help us confront the realities of a relentless decades-long drought. Today's announcement is thanks to the hard work of bipartisan leaders across the Western Slope who fought for years to move this project forward."

Bennet has led the fight for the Shoshone Permanency Project. The federal funding comes from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), in which Bennet helped secure $4 billion to mitigate the impacts of drought. He worked closely with the Biden Administration to secure $170 million for Colorado, including the Shoshone project, for drought resilience and ecosystem health. This funding was frozen after it was announced in January 2025 and Bennet has consistently called for its release.

Earlier this month, Bennet called for the release of the remaining $92 million in "Bucket 2E" funds, including Shoshone, after the Bureau announced funding for four additional projects. This came after Bennet led the entire Colorado delegation in calling on top officials at the Department of the Interior (DOI) and USBR to release $140 million in previously awarded federal funding for 15 Colorado projects to help fight the Colorado River crisis in August 2025.

In November 2025, Bennet issued a statement on the Colorado Water Conservation Board's vote to approve the Shoshone Water Rights Acquisition. In October 2024, Bennet, Hickenlooper, Neguse, Crow, Pettersen, and DeGette wrote to the USBR in support of the Colorado River Water Conservation District's application for federal funding for the Shoshone Permanency Project. Bennet will continue to advocate for the project to be finalized by the Colorado Water Court.

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