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State Engineer seeks staff and telemetry upgrades as interstate water pressure rises
Summary
The State Engineer's Office requested two additional Division 4 staff and one-time funding to modernize stream gauges and telemetry, citing increased compact-related workload (Colorado River, Bear River, Snake River), equipment obsolescence, and the need for up to 2,500 diversion measurement devices to improve water accounting.
Brandon Gilhart, Wyoming State Engineer, told the Joint Appropriations Committee that declining hydrology and rising interstate compact activity have increased workload in Division 4 and that additional field staff and a modernization program for stream gauging are needed.
Gilhart said Division 4 covers the state’s western and southwest basins and is party to several compacts and decrees. He requested two FTEs to bolster field capacity and to defend Wyoming’s water rights, estimating the biennial cost at $497,477 to cover salaries, benefits, equipment and vehicles. He said the addition could be a mix of a new position and one transferred from another agency (the governor’s recommendation included one transfer from the Public Service Commission).
On telemetry, Gilhart described a broader program to replace obsolete radio and cellular telemetry systems (3G obsolescence), strengthen real-time reporting, and install up to 2,500 diversion-measurement devices in high-priority basins. He said federal funds and a prior $15 million authorization would support some of this work but that the office would likely ask for additional one-time funds to finish replacements and move toward ongoing maintenance funding in future budgets.
Committee members asked about the expected number of new gauging units, whether new employees would be allotted new drainages, and whether this request would be a repeating operational expense or a onetime modernization push. Gilhart said the immediate need is catch-up replacement with a future goal to fold maintenance into the standard budget once equipment and reporting platforms stabilize.
