With two-thirds of the state experiencing severe to extreme drought and snowpack levels below normal, Wyoming lawmakers have proposed a series of bills for water infrastructure projects to increase storage capacity and assist agriculture producers.
Senate File (SF) 82, sponsored by the Select Water Committee, originally called for $154.8 million as part of several bills totaling over $310 million that were proposed for water development using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Yet, Sen. Larry Hicks (R-11-Baggs) told the Senate the committee wanted to reduce the general fund request by about $71 million after learning what is eligible for funding from ARPA funds.
According to the report by the U.S. Treasury on the use of ARPA funds, “The statute limits investments to those that are necessary.” It permits the funds only for “certain dam and reservoir restoration projects and certain drinking water projects to support population growth.” The water committee hoped to use the funds for agriculture and other water diversion projects, including $65 million for the Alkali Creek Reservoir and Leavitt Reservoir expansion projects.
But $80 million remains in the legislation and includes: $2 million for groundwater exploration, $25 million for acquiring water storage capacity in the Fontenelle Reservoir, over $21 million for damage repair of irrigation tunnels for the Goshen Irrigation District and $30 million for the LaPrele Dam rehabilitation water development project.
The 130-foot-high LaPrele Dam, built in 1909, is in danger of an “abrupt” catastrophic failure and is a hazard looming above Ayres Natural Bridge and Park and Interstate 25, according to Gov. Mark Gordon’s (R) letter to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
The bill passed the Senate on a unanimous vote and moved onto the House Appropriations Committee as of WLJ press time.
Another water bill in legislation, House Bill 6, would establish the Wyoming statewide American Rescue Plan Act water infrastructure program with $95 million in ARPA funding. It would establish a grant program for eligible water and wastewater infrastructure projects up to a maximum of $7.5 million. Grants provided to support eligible projects could not exceed 85 percent of the project cost. The bill failed in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SF 80 provides over $46 million for water development, including money to enhance the winter snowpack by cloud seeding. The bill would provide $873,000 for the Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre mountain ranges and $844,000 for the Wind River and Sierra Madre mountain ranges for cloud seeding to augment the winter snowpack in the 2022-23 season.
Additionally, it would provide money for municipal water supply projects, agricultural water supplies and new developments projects, including the Broken Wheel Ranch water supply, Middle Piney Reservoir and Laramie Valley diversion. As of WLJ press time, the measure passed the Senate unanimously, and the House Appropriations Committee moved the bill forward to the House.
A bill sponsored by Hicks and several other lawmakers clarifies state ownership of groundwater.
SF 81 amends the Wyoming constitution to state, “Underground water within the boundaries of the state is the property of the state.” The bill passed the Senate and moved to the House floor after moving through the Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee.
The water bills come as lawmakers of the Joint Appropriations Committee said their budget bills closely align with Gordon’s $2.3 billion recommendations for the 2023-24 biennium budget, and lawmakers consider funding during this legislative session. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
