When the Colorado Water Conservation Board voted unanimously last month to approve the $99 million purchase of the Shoshone water rights from Xcel Energy, Western Slope communities called it a “once-in-a-lifetime” deal. In Grand County, the decision lands closer to home. For people living at the headwaters of the Colorado River, it’s a promise that water will keep flowing west, offering a safeguard for ranchers, recreation businesses and the river itself. … By securing them permanently for instream flows, the Colorado River District and its partners ensured that water will continue downstream even if the aging plant shuts down.