WYOMING WATER DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION Fall 2006 Water News Framework Water Plan Update ment Office also gave a One of the topics Progress on the presentation at the 50% that will be addressed in the Framework Water Plan was Aspen Alley progress meeting. In his next round of basin planning reported at the 50% progress presentation, it was stated is groundwater. WWC’s meeting on July 11 in Cas- that the Water Development team is responsible for mak- per. Progress meetings have Office will be seeking fund- ing recommendations on been scheduled for 5%, 50% ing to update two basins this how groundwater should be Inside this issue: and 90% project completion. fall. Mr. Schroeder will be updated. In recent years the Representatives from each responsible for making the drought has highlighted the Framework Water Plan 1 Basin Advisory Group (BAG) recommendation in October need for better groundwater Update/Platte River attended the meetings to regarding which two basin data. This information will Basin Plan is Com- discuss basin issues and to plans should be updated be used to help protect and pleted relay information from the first. Several factors will be manage one of Wyoming’s Framework consultant back considered, including the most valuable resources. News from the WWDC 2 to their groups. The BAGs following: A major task the News from Water Re- 2 learned that each basin is unique but many issues iden- • The length of time since WWC team will be complet- sources Data System/ the last plan was written; ing soon is the BAG survey. State Climate Office tified by the seven basins are A survey will be e-mailed to similar. • Which basin has the most those people who have What’s up in the State 3 issues; Engineer’s Office... Murray Schroeder, regularly attended the BAG project manager for the • Which basin has had the meetings to gain their per- Calendar of Water 4 Western Water Consultants most water use changes; spective of the Framework Events (WWC) team hired to com- and planning process. If you plete the Framework Water • Which basin has had the have attended one of the Plan, attended both the 5% most population gain. BAG meetings and included and 50% progress meetings your email on the to give an update. One of sign-in sheet, you the first tasks the team com- may see a short pleted was a review of the survey in your in- seven basin plans. During box in the next this review the Framework couple of weeks. team discovered several ar- Your response Special points of eas where the plans were would be greatly inconsistent or inaccurate. appreciated. interest: This information will be used • As always, look for later when the individual activities in your area plans are updated. in the Calendar of Phil Ogle of the Water Events Wyoming Water Develop- Platte River Basin Plan is Completed The last of the basin plans is complete and ready for distribution. Trihydro Corporation has put the finishing touches on the report and executive summary. The Platte River Basin was the first basin to develop an online presentation tool that is being called the Platte River Wa- ter Atlas. The Water Atlas presents many of the results, tables, and maps of the plan in an easy to use online format that can be printed from any home computer. The online products will be available shortly so keep your eyes open for them at http://waterplan.state.wy.us/ Water News Fall 2006 Page 2 News from the WWDC Changes Occurring at construction division. Pro- storage pro- voir projects. jects move from the planning jects has been the Water Development The Wa- division to the construction expressed by ter Development Office division as they advance the governor Commission and from Level II planning to and by the leg- Over the last several Office have been Level III final design and con- islature. The years, which have been punc- working diligently struction. Completing final legislature ap- tuated by drought, requests for to address the design and construction of a proved creation projects and studies have in- changes that are project can take a number of and funding of creased. In some years, the occurring. The years, which causes a build Water Develop- number of applications doubled planning division, dam and up of projects. If more pro- ment Account No. 3 in 2005 from the average number of reservoir section has been jects are being initiated at specifically for the construc- requests. The large number of established and efforts are Level III than are being tion of dams and reservoirs. projects has stretched the Wa- underway to fill these posi- closed out, the work load A new section of the water ter Development Office staff tions. There are a number increases. planning division was also and resources. Staff time of projects underway that proposed by the governor spent on individual project de- In addition, there has could result in development and approved by the legisla- velopment, direction and coor- been increased interest over of dams and reservoirs. ture in 2005. This legisla- dination has decreased with the the last several years, in dam tion created three new posi- large number of projects poten- and reservoir storage pro- tions to concentrate on de- (Continued on page 4) tially affecting project results. jects. Interest in building This is especially true for the velopment of dam and reser- News from Water Resources Data System/State Climate Office New WRDS Director. Big the largest single provider of ety of sources. These maps the library acquired a large- changes are underway at water and climate-related will aid in water resources format optical scanner that the Water Resources Data information for Wyoming. planning and drought moni- has already proved invalu- System (WRDS). Beginning Some of the most important toring, and provide an invalu- able in preserving many of in June 2006, Dr. Stephen products currently “in the able reference tool for people the one-of-a-kind records Gray was hired to be the works” focus on combining throughout the state. Tony WRDS houses. WRDS is new director of WRDS. information from a variety of and the WRDS staff are also also very near an agreement Steve comes from the U.S. partner agencies and, in turn, engaged in a variety of with the University of Wyo- Geological Survey in Tuc- providing new and unique “salvage” projects that will ming that would allow the son, Arizona where he products for make numerous staff to provide online copies worked as a research scien- understanding hardcopy datasets— of every water and climate- tist studying drought and water and cli- many of them quite related Master’s thesis or water availability throughout mate. In one rare or unique— Doctoral dissertation pro- the western U.S. Steve is example WRDS’ more widely avail- duced at the university within also a graduate of the Uni- hydrologist Tom able over the inter- days of a student’s gradua- versity of Wyoming, and Dietrich is work- net. tion. brings a wide range of ex- ing on a suite of WRDS Library. In Completed products perience in water resources projects that use addition to the wide and access to many re- to the position. Earlier this snowpack data variety of electronic sources from the WRDS li- year Governor Freudenthal from the Natural and hard copy data- brary are available at http:// appointed Steve to be the Resources Con- bases the office www.wrds.uwyo.edu/. Infor- Wyoming State Climatolo- servation Ser- houses, WRDS also mation on Wyoming’s climate gist. Since then Steve has vice, streamflow features one of the and current drought condi- taken a very active roll in measurements from the U.S. most outstanding water li- tions are available at http:// statewide drought monitor- Geological Survey, and tem- braries in the western U.S. www.wrds.uwyo.edu/wrds/ ing, and he is working on a perature observations from Recently, head librarian Bar- wsc/ wsc.html. For more number of projects aimed at the National Weather Service bara Muller has been working information please contact improving the access to to better track runoff from with the WWDC staff to ex- Steve Gray at (307) 766- climatic data, forecasts, and high mountain areas. Like- pand the substantial collec- 6659 or by email at analysis for Wyoming. wise Tony Bergantino, senior tion of water-related docu- [email protected]. WRDS programmer, is com- New Products Under ments and consultant’s re- piling updated maps of state- Development. WRDS is ports. Earlier this summer wide precipitation from a vari- Water News Fall 2006 Page 3 What’s Up in the State Engineer’s Office... Hello from the State Yellowstone Compact be- meetings, please visit the The Missouri River Engineer’s Office. In this tween Wyoming and Mon- website at: http:// Association of States and newsletter, we will look at tana covers the 4 main tribu- cr.water.usgs.gov/YRCC/ Tribes or MoRAST (formerly the Belle Fourche River ba- taries to the Yellowstone index.html known as the Missouri River sin, the Yellowstone River River (Clarks Fork, Wind/ Missouri River: The Mis- Basin Association or MRBA) basin and the Missouri River Bighorn, Tongue and Pow- souri River flows approxi- was formed in July, 2006 to basin. der Rivers). The Commis- mately 2,500 miles from its facilitate management of the sion is comprised of Pat Tyr- headwaters near Three Missouri River natural re- rell, Wyoming State Engi- Forks, Montana to its conflu- sources, including water re- neer and a yet to be ap- ence with the Mississippi sources, fish and wildlife pointed commissioner from River just north of St.