Select Water Committee actions: master plans, project approvals and contract items at a glance

The Select Water Committee and Wyoming Water Development Commission approved a series of planning and funding actions during a multi‑hour session. Key approvals and formal outcomes follow; votes were taken on each agenda item and recorded at the meeting.

Votes at a glance (item — outcome — key detail) - Grover Water Master Plan — approved — preliminary approval to begin consultant selection. - Kemmerer/Diamondville Water Master Plan (Kemmerer‑Diamondville Joint Powers Board) — approved — sponsor highlighted major anticipated industrial growth and need to update 17‑year‑old master plan. - Laramie Water Master Plan — approved — city seeks planning support after 2015 master plan; new water rights acquisitions noted. - Medicine Bow Water Master Plan — approved — small town (≈240 people) seeking inventory and evaluation of aging wells. - Pine Bluffs Water Master Plan — approved — town reported $4 million+ in recent upgrades and new well acreage purchases; seeks updated planning. - Superior Water Master Plan — approved — first comprehensive plan for the town since 1980s work. - Worland (City of Worland) Water Master Plan — approved — city requested a hydraulic model and financing advice for aging transmission lines. - Yoder Water Master Plan — approved — small town with school district reliance on town water; sponsors emphasized depth of wells and drought concerns. - Kemmerer/Diamondville (motion to approve) — approved — commissioners expressed support and discussed industrial siting funds. - Bedford and Turnerville Level‑2 feasibility study (combined study) — approved — motion to begin consultant selection on a combined study to consider hooking systems together and regionalization interest from Thane. - Hot Springs County feasibility/drilling project — NOT funded — office recommended not funding after consultant found limited access and high cost; motion to accept recommendation passed with one nay (see separate article for details). - Shoshone Irrigation District Level‑2 master plan — approved — system serves ~36,000 acres and 1,800 landowners; sponsor explained past study work and ongoing pipe/Corbett Tunnel considerations. - Alliance Lateral ditch (Goose Creek / Sheridan County) — NOT funded — office recommended do not fund based on ineligible maintenance and erosion control scope and other funding programs being more appropriate; motion passed with one recorded nay. - Casper Elkova/Aspar Alkova irrigation lateral rehab (level 2) — approved — sponsors seek on‑the‑ground loss measurements to prioritize lateral rehab. - Wheatland water source and transmission evaluation (level 2) — approved — sponsor will evaluate alternatives for replacing or rehabilitating well #3 and transmission to new tank. - Riverton regional water master plan (closeout memo accepted) — accepted — commission found the work complete and recommended moving to next level when a sponsor applies; consultant reduced original budget modestly. - Small Water Program project time extension: Silver Lake restoration — approved (time only extension) — delays due to NRCS coordination and design timing; sponsor confirmed NRCS funding. - Planning project amendments (time extensions): Alkali Creek NEPA contractor, New Fork Lake dam enlargement (2‑year extension), Silver Lake dam rehab (1‑year extension), Lakeview irrigation rehab (6‑month extension) — all approved — office requested more time to finish environmental analyses and designs. - University of Wyoming Water Research Program RFP (2026 topics) — recommended by Select Water and approved by the commission — 7 broad topics for research issued for faculty proposals. - Well purchase / transfer agreements: - Aladdin Well purchase agreement — approved — agreement to transfer well to Aladdin Water District; office to execute quitclaim deed following signed agreement. - Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities purchase of Belvoir wells (Belvoir 5 & 6) — approved — BOPU to purchase wells for drilling cost of $218,000 (agreement executed). - Middle Piney Reservoir water sales contract (to Middle Piney Watershed Improvement District) — approved — contract for up to 3,344 acre‑feet at $10,000/year plus in‑kind operation support. - Construction project amendment (technical correction to project budget) — approved — staff corrected project budget language to reflect that the commission’s share is 50% (clerical correction to a recently executed construction agreement). - Sponsor contingency request (Evanston transmission pipeline upsizing) — approved — commission approved a sponsor contingency request to cover cost increases with a 50/50 sponsor match. - Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) Intended‑Use Plan (fiscal year) — recommended by Select Water and approved by commission — plan includes ~50 projects at an estimated $161.5M in loan/finance needs and a prioritized list for principal forgiveness on the most urgent 15 projects.

Context and next steps Most votes were unanimous or passed by voice vote; several items include follow‑up tasks for the Water Development Office and sponsors such as consultant selection, reporting, or design completion. The commission approved multiple planning time extensions so staff and federal/state cooperating agencies can finish NEPA, geotechnical and design work. The SRF intended‑use plan now advances to the State Lands and Investment Board for final approvals.

Ending note: The meeting advanced a wide range of municipal and irrigation planning projects while drawing clear lines where the office judged funding inappropriate; two high‑visibility items — Hot Springs County feasibility (denied) and the Cheyenne water‑sales accounting decision (separate article) — attracted the most sustained debate.