Select Water committee declines to fund Hot Springs County groundwater exploration; commissioners cite access barriers and cost

The Wyoming Select Water Committee voted to accept the Water Development Office recommendation not to fund a Hot Springs County feasibility project intended to locate new groundwater sources to reduce dependence on the Big Spring surface supply.

The office’s recommendation followed an internal study that found few locations where landowner access for test drilling could be obtained on acceptable terms and that the likely cost of thorough testing and subsequent transmission infrastructure would be substantial.

Why it mattered: Hot Springs County and the town of Thermopolis have considered groundwater as a more reliable and lower‑cost alternative to treating Bighorn River water. County and town leaders said groundwater could lower long‑term operating costs and reduce perceived surface‑water contamination risks; office staff warned the test‑drilling path had a low probability of success given limited easements and previous experience with the idle Buffalo Creek well.

What the study and sponsors told the…