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 materials requests were approved as materials‑only grants to allow district crews to do the installation (combined materials award recommended and approved). The committee also approved funding for the Elk Water Users Roan Wash spill (grant/loan, $641,000 total) and the Grama tank and phase 1 pipeline (preconstruction for pipeline design; tank construction grant of $1,582,000), both contingent on the transfer.

Not funded or tabled: staff recommended and the committee accepted do‑not‑fund recommendations for Byron’s raw‑water supply preconstruction request (priority 9) and Cody’s raw‑water pump station rehabilitation (priority 9). The Tiller Canal rehabilitation and pump station request was tabled to the January meeting after staff and commissioners raised questions about the sponsor’s ability to provide matching funds and the availability of WaterSMART/NRCS funding.

Contingency and other actions: the committee authorized a sponsor contingency request of $98,500 for the Interstate Irrigation District project to cover unforeseen saturated ground and a reroute of about 4,000 feet of pipeline. The committee also approved many of the motions with standard procedural language that made awards contingent on the pending transfer of funds from Account 1 to Account 2 where noted in staff recommendations.

Why this matters: the approved projects address aging irrigation infrastructure and critical transmission assets across multiple irrigation districts and towns; several approved items were identified by staff as among the state’s highest‑priority critical structures and, if not addressed, could jeopardize large acreages of irrigated lands or municipal water reliability.

Votes at a glance (selected actions): Bighorn Canal (Bighorn Canal Irrigation District) — Motion to approve 50% grant / 50% loan, contingent on transfer — outcome: approved. Byron raw‑water supply (Town of Byron) — Motion to accept director’s recommendation: do not fund — outcome: approved (do not fund). Cody Canal lead diversion rehab (Cody Canal ID) — Motion to approve 50% grant / 47.3% loan, contingent on transfer — outcome: approved. Cody Raw Water Pump Station Rehab (City of Cody) — Motion to accept director’s recommendation: do not fund — outcome: approved (do not fund). Cali transmission pipeline (Town of Cali) — Motion to approve 50% preconstruction grant contingent on transfer — outcome: approved. Elk Water Users Roan Wash spill (Elk Water Users ID & Level ID co‑applicant) — Motion to approve 50% grant / 50% loan, contingent on co‑applicant resolution — outcome: approved. Glenrock transmission pipeline — Motion to approve 50% preconstruction grant contingent on transfer — outcome: approved. Goshen ID materials projects (East Springer 3.6 and 29.4 laterals) — Motions to approve materials‑only grants — outcome: approved. Grama Tank & Phase 1 pipeline — Motion to approve preconstruction and tank construction grant contingent on transfer — outcome: approved. Upper Sunshine outlet works (Bridal Valley ID) — Motion to approve 50% grant / 50% loan (project in top 1% criticality) — outcome: approved. Newcastle transmission pipeline — Motion approved contingent on the city adopting an ordinance allowing water sales outside city limits — outcome: approved (condition accepted by sponsor). Powder River 15‑mile siphon (Powder River ID) — Motion to approve 50% grant / 50% loan (removed contingency due to priority) — outcome: approved. Riverton West Main Street transmission pipeline — Motion to approve funding on the portion impacted by YDOT (50% grant) — outcome: approved. Shoshone Well No. 6 and transmission — Motion to approve 50% grant, contingent on transfer — outcome: approved. Byron Lateral (Sidon/Byron) preconstruction — Motion to approve preconstruction funding contingent on transfer — outcome: approved. Interstate Irrigation contingency — Motion to approve $98,500 from sponsor contingency fund to address saturated ground and reroute — outcome: approved.

Sources: committee discussion and sponsor remarks recorded in the meeting transcript; votes and motions recorded on the committee record.