It’s been going on for a long time. First the Front Range stole the water, and it’s been all downhill since.
No wonder why Lake Powell and others are low / not climate charge.. Front range stealing water - legally with a pen..
The loss of water out of West Slope counties affected by transmountain diversions can be as high as 65 percent of the streamflow being diverted away to the other side of the divide.
Since water is used multiple times as it flows downstream, removing water from a basin through transmountain diversions means the loss of water can be felt in multiple ways. When water is diverted out of a basin, the ability to use and reuse that water is lost completely to the basin of origin.
Transmountain diversions can lead to a loss of economic, recreational and aesthetic benefits and have negative impacts to water quality and animal habitat.
https://www.postindependent.com/news/transmountain-diversions-create-political-divide-in-state/