Select Water committee approves funding recommendations for multiple irrigation and municipal projects

The Agriculture, State & Public Lands & Water Resources Committee on [date not specified] approved a series of funding recommendations for irrigation districts and municipal water systems from Account 2, adopting staff’s prioritization and motions to fund projects mainly with 50% grants and 50% loans or with preconstruction 50% grants where easements or design were outstanding.

Key approvals at the meeting included the Bighorn Canal 5‑mile pipeline replacement (50% grant/50% loan, $4,544,600 total, contingent on transfer from Account 1 to Account 2), the Cody Canal lead diversion rehabilitation (50% grant / 47.3% loan, grant $2,221,000; loan $2,102,000, contingent on the transfer), and the Powder River 15‑Mile siphon replacement (50% grant/50% loan, $2,230,000; elevated to non‑contingent because it was scored as priority 1). The committee also approved preconstruction funding for several transmission pipeline replacements where easements or matching funds remain to be secured, including Cali’s transmission preconstruction (50% preconstruction grant $182,000) and Glenrock’s transmission preconstruction (50% preconstruction grant $467,000), both contingent on the anticipated transfer.

Materials‑only grants were approved for small‑dollar, in‑house projects conducted by irrigation districts: Goshen Irrigation District’s East Springer (3.6) and 29.4 lateral…