SUBJECT to REVISION 1 | Page

SUBJECT to REVISION 1 | Page

SUBJECT TO REVISION Wyoming Water Development Commission/Select Water Committee Joint Workshop/Meeting Capitol Extension, Public Meeting Room No. 5, 200 W. 24th St., Cheyenne, WY November 4-5, 2020 To live stream either event, follow the link provided at our website: http://wwdc.state.wy.us/. Please also check for any updates to the Agenda and E-Notebook. Wednesday, November 4, 2020 1:30 p.m. Workshop Agenda: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Audience Introductions 4. Financial Status Report (A) 5. Funding Applications – Preliminary Review (See attachment) 6. Project Updates (See attachment) • Lake Hattie Full Utilization Study, Level I • LaPrele Irrigation District Dam Rehabilitation, Level II, Phase II 7. Aging Infrastructure (B) 8. Wyoming Water Development Program Priorities (C) 9. Application Fees (D) 10. Financial Disclosure Forms (E) – WWDC – Due by Dec. 31, 2020 Wednesday, November 4, 2020 Select Water Committee Agenda: To begin at the conclusion of the Joint Workshop 11. Orphan Water Rights (F) 12. America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 (G) 1 | Page SUBJECT TO REVISION Thursday, November 5, 2020 8:30 a.m. Joint Meeting Agenda: 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call 4. Audience Introductions 5. Approval of Minutes (H) (Action Item) • October 9, 2020 - WWDC Meeting Minutes 6. Closeout Memos (I) (Action Item) • Lander Test Well Study, Level II, Phase I • Salt Creek-Edgerton-Midwest Master Plan, Level I • Torrington Water Master Plan, Level I 7. Operating Criteria (J) (Action Item) • Small Water Program • Water Development Program 8. Contingency Account II Request (K) (Action Item) • Piney and Cruse Canal Piping 9. 2021 Funding Recommendations – New Development (See attachment) • Account I, Level III, II, I 10. 2021 Funding Recommendations – Dam and Reservoir Program (See attachment) • Account III, Level II 11. 2021 Funding Recommendations – Rehabilitation Program (See attachment) • Account II, Level III, II, I 12. Other Items Requiring Commission Action 13. Director’s Comments 14. Future Meeting Schedule 15. Adjourn 2 | Page SUBJECT TO REVISION Attachment to the Agenda Thursday, November 5, 2020 8:30 a.m. Joint Meeting Agenda Attachment: New Development Program – Account I Level III Projects • Cloud Seeding: Medicine Bow & Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges 2022 (A) • Cloud Seeding: Wind River Mountain Range 2022 (B) • Lander Well and Transmission Pipeline 2021 (C) • Northwest Rural Water System Improvements 2021 (D) • Torrington Well Connection 2021 (E) Level III Projects – Amendments • Arapahoe Water Supply 2016 (F) • Ethete Water Supply (G) • Small Water Project Program – New Development (H) Level II Projects • Big Horn Regional Transmission (I) • Byron Rural Water Supply (J) • Gillette Water System Improvements (K) • Little Snake River Valley Water Supply, Phase II (L) Level I Projects • Hoback River Watershed Study (M) • Lander Water Master Plan (Mc) • Nordic Ranches Water Master Plan (N) • Upton Water Master Plan (O) • Wheatland Water Master Plan (P) • Lake Hattie Full Utilization Study* (Q) *Deferred from May WWDC Meeting General • UW Water Research Program (R) Dams and Reservoirs Program – Account III Level II Projects – Amendments • Clear Creek Storage (S) – Time Extension Only • Fontenelle Dam and Outworks Infrastructure Completion (T) – Time Extension Only • Glendo Reservoir Full Utilization Project (U) – Time Extension Only • Nowood River Storage – Alkali Creek (V) – Time Extension Only 1 | Page SUBJECT TO REVISION Rehabilitation Program – Account II Level III Projects • Interstate Irrigation & Reservoir Irrigation District Improvements 2021 (W) • Salt Creek Transmission Pipeline 2021 (XYZ) • Shoshone Irrigation District Improvements 2021 (A2) • Sidon Irrigation District Improvements 2021 (B2) Level III Projects – Amendments • Small Water Project Program – Rehabilitation (C2) • Sponsor’s Contingency Fund – Rehabilitation (D2) Level II Projects • Lander Ditches Rehabilitation (E2) Level II Project Amendment • LaPrele Irrigation District Dam Rehabilitation, Phase II (F2) Level I Projects • Highland Irrigation District Master Plan (G2) 2 | Page 2021 RECOMMENDATION-CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS Project Name: Cloud Seeding in the Medicine Bow, Program: New Development and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges 2021-2022 Project Type: Winter Snowpack Augmentation County: Albany and Carbon Sponsor: WWDO WWDO Recommendation: Level III Proposed Budget: $728,000 Project Manager: Julie Gondzar Project Description The WWDO requests financial support from the Wyoming State Legislature for airborne cloud seeding operations targeting the Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges, located in southeast Wyoming within the North Platte River Basin and Little Snake River Basin (western flanks of the Sierra Madres), for the 2021-2022 winter season. This cloud seeding program is focused on increasing high elevation snowpack in order to increase streamflow and runoff in a particularly drought-stricken area, as part of a strategy for flow enhancement within the affected basins. Airborne cloud seeding operations for the current 2020-2021 winter season were funded by the 2020 Wyoming State Legislature (in the “Omnibus Water Bill – Construction), with additional contributions from the City of Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities. It should be noted that no water ownership is implied by this collaboration, nor is there any expectation of a specific amount of water being delivered downstream, and any additional precipitation and subsequent stream flow that was produced through the program will be treated as a natural event, and subject to applicable state water laws. The WWDO has been successful in securing a local funding partner for the current winter season’s operations. The City of Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities has contributed $50,000 to the program, as they have a vested interest in additional runoff and water supplies coming from the Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges. There have been positive discussions around the possibility of this funding partner being a continuous part of the program, and the WWDO is anticipating future contributions. Every year, the science of cloud seeding continues to strongly suggest that increasing snowpack through cloud seeding augments water supply by increasing precipitation and runoff. The recently completed Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre Final Design and Permitting study showed a positive cost benefit and average increase in streamflow by approximately 12,500 acre-feet due to seeding activities throughout a winter season. With an estimated seeding effect of 5 to 10% (results from the Wyoming Weather Modification Pilot Program), it was also determined that airborne seeding would likely result in an estimated $11 to $22 cost per acre foot. Nearby states (Idaho, North Dakota) have a long history of conducting airborne cloud seeding programs, with success. With neighboring states as a model, the WWDO is focused on continuing airborne cloud seeding over the Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges for the winter season of 2021-2022. The following budget has been prepared for such a scenario. 1 Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges Winter 2021-2022 Estimated Budget Winter 2021-2022 Operations Budget $ 773,000 Anticipated Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities Local - $ 50,000 Funding Contribution Wyoming Water Development Office (oversight) Travel/Communications $ 5,000 Project Total Requested Appropriation $ 728,000 Funds are being requested for the operations contractor to prepare operational forecasts, decision support, fly one aircraft, maintain the equipment, and conduct airborne seeding operations across southeast Wyoming. More Details about the Airborne Cloud Seeding Program in Southeast Wyoming: As proposed in this recommendation, airborne cloud seeding would take place during the winter of 2021-2022 across the Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges. Important Facts about Cloud Seeding: • Cloud seeding is one of many tools to manage water resources, and is relatively inexpensive. • Airborne cloud seeding, especially over more complex terrain like the Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre Mountains, is expected to be less expensive as compared to ground-based cloud seeding (Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre Final Design and Permitting Study, 2018). 2 • Cloud seeding has been utilized since the 1940’s, however, incredible advances in research have been made within the past 15 years. The cloud seeding community views the WWDO’s Wyoming Weather Modification Pilot Study (completed in 2014) as the forefront of new innovative research, and one of the most recent cutting-edge studies actually builds on Wyoming’s original Pilot Study. • Winter cloud seeding is a natural technique to increase the amount of ice nuclei within a cloud, allowing ice formation (and ultimately snow formation) to begin sooner. • Studies have shown that the use of Silver Iodide in cloud seeding is safe, as it is a natural salt- compound. Silver is widespread in the natural environment, and sampling within cloud seeding target areas found silver to be undetectable above naturally-occurring background levels. Silver from cloud seeding is incredibly hard to find, even with the most advanced equipment. • Extra Area Effects: The theory that cloud seeding reduces moisture downwind is a common misunderstanding. Long-term studies (44+ years) consistently show no precipitation decreases resulting from seeding. In fact, many studies show the potential for a slight increase downwind. • Cloud seeding allows for an incremental

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