Senate passes omnibus water bill after clashes over cloud seeding, shooting complex and land exchanges

The Wyoming Senate on Feb. 28, 2025, approved House Bill 117, an omnibus water bill authorizing water projects and related appropriations, after extended debate and a series of amendment votes.

The bill matters because it authorizes construction and design work tied to water projects across the state, contains multiple targeted appropriations, and became a vehicle for contested policy items that senators said were necessary to move forward because other budget vehicles were not available.

Senators spent much of the floor period debating amendments that expanded the bill beyond traditional water-works funding. Senator Jones, who moved several amendments, described one change as permission for a ground-based cloud-seeding effort paid for by external partners and ‘‘no cost to Wyoming’’ until those outside funds were committed. Opponents raised environmental and health questions. Senator Hyde said, "the data on this is is not good at all anywhere. What does it do to our soil? What does it do to our water? What does it do to our wildlife? What does it do to our health? ... these are, you know, silver iodides. And, I think we're messing with mother nature here."

Another contentious set of amendments concerned a proposed appropriation tied to the planned Wyoming State Shooting Complex. Senator Hicks, who sponsored the shooting-complex language, argued proponents had already approved funding two years earlier and said the complex would bring tourists and economic benefit, calling it "economic development for the whole state." Opponents including Senator Scott and Senator Eyde said the project was not a water project and objected to inserting it into the water bill. Scott said the shooting complex "is not a water project" and that adding it to the water construction bill set a bad precedent. After debate, the amendment to add the larger shooting-complex appropriation failed on a roll call.

Senators did adopt several other amendments that they described as germane to water operations. The Senate restored language authorizing the state engineer to perform work in Water Division 4 and passed a related amendment authorizing an appropriation for water-division staffing and work. An appropriation of $148,000 for accounting and software the sponsor described as necessary to model the natural flow of the North Platte River was also adopted; the sponsor said the system "is critical and about to fail" and the amendment passed on a roll call.

Another adopted amendment directed the State Lands office to investigate voluntary land-exchange opportunities around a planned reservoir (LaCrosse Reservoir), an effort the amendment’s sponsor described as voluntary and intended to improve public access through consensual exchanges. Senator Driscoll, the amendment sponsor, said the language only authorizes investigation and does not require any landowner to exchange property: "It doesn't force anything on anybody, creates an opportunity."

Senators repeatedly framed their choices around process and limited vehicles for action. Sponsor Senator Hicks said the water bill was the available vehicle to complete work that had been left hanging after budget negotiations ended: "This is the horse we have to ride. Saddle up folks." Opponents urged alternative routes, including using tourism funds or waiting for a future budget vehicle.

Ultimately the Senate passed House Bill 117 on third reading. The bill carried the measures the Senate adopted and will move according to the legislative process for enrolled acts.

Votes at a glance: third-reading final passage of House Bill 117 (outcome: approved). Several amendments were adopted on the floor (state engineer appropriation; accounting/software for North Platte River; land-exchange investigation), and one major amendment to add a large state appropriation for the Wyoming State Shooting Complex failed.

The passage brings forward a multi-part measure with several companion steps still to come as the bill proceeds through final enrollment and transmittal.