A yearslong effort to purchase two of the most powerful water rights on the Colorado River has cleared another hurdle after the state water board agreed to manage the rights alongside Western Slope water officials.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to accept the two water rights tied to the Shoshone Power Plant into its environmental flow program. The approval is a critical piece in the Colorado River District’s $99 million deal with the owner of the aging plant in Glenwood Canyon — Xcel Energy — but the deal has faced pushback from Front Range water providers that fear the change could impact their supplies.

Backers of the deal aim to make sure the water now used by the small hydroelectric plant — and then put back in the river — will always flow westward.

“The importance of today’s vote cannot be overstated as a legacy decision for Colorado water and the Western Slope,” Andy Mueller, general manager of the Colorado River District, said in a news release. “It secures an essential foundation for the health of the Colorado River and the communities it sustains.”

Colorado water officials hailed the decision as a monumental achievement for the state that will help protect the river and its ecosystem. The state’s instream flow program allows the Water Conservation Board to manage dedicated water rights for the health of rivers, streams and lakes.

“Acquiring the Shoshone water rights for instream flow use is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve and improve the natural environment of the Colorado River,” Dan Gibbs, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, said in a news release.

One of the main sticking points during the hourslong meeting Wednesday was whether the board should manage the water rights with the River District. That would include decisions on how and when to require upstream users — like Front Range utilities — to send more water downstream. Generally, the board is the sole manager of water rights in its instream flow program, which the Shoshone rights are now a part of.

Several Western Slope entities said they would withdraw their financial support from the purchase if the Colorado River District was not allowed to co-manage the right with the board. Local governments and other organizations across the Western Slope promised more than $16 million toward the purchase.

Front Range water providers argued that the statewide board is the sole authority that can manage such rights and should have final decision-making power.

The water board instead approved the co-management strategy, which means that the two authorities will decide together how to act when there is not enough water to meet the right’s obligations.

The Colorado River District — a taxpayer-funded agency that works to protect Western Slope water — wants to purchase the Shoshone rights to ensure that water will continue to flow west past the plant and downstream to the towns, farms and others who rely on the Colorado River, even if the century-old power plant were decommissioned.

A stream of Western Slope elected officials, water managers and conservation groups testified in support of the deal and the rare opportunity it presented.

“The Shoshone call is one of the great stabilizing forces on the river — a heartbeat that has kept our valley farms alive, our communities whole and our economies steady even in lean years,” Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel said, urging the board to approve the plan.

Boulder, Colorado’s most famous symbol of loyalty, has reached yet another milestone. Peggy Coppom, the legendary Colorado Buffaloes superfan, turned 101 this week, celebrating with family, former athletes, coaches, and generations of fans whose lives she’s touched with her simple devotion to CU. 

For Colorado coach Deion Sanders, Peggy is a familiar face in the stands. “Miss Peggy, in her own tremendous, loving way, she gives all of us hope,” Sanders shared last season. “You know how many decades we’re apart? But we still found one another. I thank God for that.”

If you want to know what it means to show up—through good seasons and bad— you’ll hear Peggy’s name every time. After attending her first CU football game in 1940, Coppom, alongside her late twin sister Betty Hoover, became a fixture in the stands. For nearly six decades, the twins rarely missed a home game, their loyalty unwavering even as Boulder changed and college football along with it.

Over the years, Peggy has watched Colorado battle through everything from stadium renovations to conference realignments. Her seat at Folsom Field has weathered championship runs and heartbreaks. 

“Once we could afford season tickets, we jumped in,” she once recalled.

Now, Peggy has watched more than 330 home games, and her near-perfect attendance record is a feat matched by few in college sports.

Peggy Coppom’s story is a legacy that is woven into Boulder’s history. She and Betty saw Boulder transform from a small town into a lively college city of more than 100,000, with the university at its heart. They raised families while supporting CU from the stands and navigated losing seasons, and Peggy has embraced the program’s modern rise under Coach Prime.

Even after breaking her femur in 2024, Peggy made it to the Buffs season opener and is a familiar face at the Downtown Boulder Pearl Street rally and at bowl games. 

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Peggy’s enthusiasm and kindness are infectious. On her 101st birthday, she was surprised by former CU star Jaylyn Sherrod at the CU women’s basketball game—one of many small celebrations joining together to honor Peggy. 

For much of the community, Peggy’s life stands as an example of hope and joy, no matter the scoreboard or the challenges that come with being a fan of the Buffaloes.​​

Coach Prime’s public admiration has only magnified her legacy, weaving Peggy’s story into the current era of CU athletics.

“She’s consistent with who she is,” Sanders said. “Her memory is sharp as a tack. Just always pleasant… always has something profound and peaceful to say to me.”

Peggy Coppom’s 101 years encapsulate the best of the Buffs Nation and Boulder community. She shows the ability to show up and to celebrate the players at their very best. Her advice for fans and athletes is to always cherish the memories, love the people, and stay true to the black and gold.

Peggy summed up her induction into the CU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022, saying, “I can’t think of one person or anybody that’s ever been given an award like this for simply having a good time.”

On Tuesday, the Boulder County Commissioners voted to move forward with a development plan for their former North Broadway complex in the Colorado city of Boulder that would preserve the historic nearby baseball park at Iris Fields. County commissioners voted 2-1 to enter into a contract with The Academy Management Group for $26 million that aims to preserve the fields and possibly introduce new affordable senior housing to the area.

The lot came up for sale after the county decided to downsize much of their human services staff to another building, saying that many of those employees now work remotely. The county estimates the move will save the county $12.5 over the next five years. However, the sale of their buildings also meant the possibility of losing Iris Fields.

North Boulder Little League players have run the bases of Iris Fields for almost 70 years, and as the league’s Vice President, Thomas Click has spent endless hours coaching them.

“This is a little slice of americana, you know, this is, this is a classroom of life here,” Click said.

So earlier this year, when the county put this land up for sale and the fields’ days looked numbered, Click took a swing.

“A handful of us stood up and just said, ‘No, we’re not going to let that happen,’” Click said, “Our petition, we’ve got 5,000 signatures on it, and there are hundreds of comments on there of people just bearing their souls and talking about what the fields really meant to them.”

Eventually the league found a developer that wanted to help called the The Academy Management Group and submit their own bid. But they still needed Boulder County Commissioners like Ashley Stolzmann to approve it.

“We certainly heard from the neighborhood right around the property, but also … heard from people with different perspectives on the type of housing or not housing that should go on this site,” Stolzmann said.

And on Tuesday, the fields’ future came to a vote.

“Everyone sat quietly all through the hearing, and was like, on their best, you know, best church-like behavior. And then once the vote was taken, the crowd just erupted in tears,” Stolzmann said.

In a 2-1 vote, the fields now seem to be “safe.”

“To see everybody come together … that’s a super powerful thing, and hopefully it laid some framework for the way things can be going forward,” Click said.

And Click is already looking forward to seeing all his players for years to come.

When asked what the league’s plans are for opening day next year Click said, “Oh, man, we’re going big. We’re going really big. I’ll make sure of it.”

As with any major sale, there are still some details that still need to be worked out, including a 90 days due diligence period, but this vote lays the groundwork for the fields preservation and the possible addition of senior housing in the future.

The county expects to move out of their North Complex offices sometime next year.