Committee advances omnibus water‑planning bill, adds engineering funds for Alkali Creek work

A legislative committee on Monday reported House Bill 87, an omnibus water‑planning measure that authorizes reconnaissance and feasibility studies, creates three accounts for project funding and approves the commission’s authority to expend funds for selected studies.

Chairman John Winter opened the meeting and invited Jason Me, director of the Water Development Office, to brief members on how projects are selected and funded. “We get applications March 1st of every year,” Jason Me said, describing a process that assigns project managers, vets sponsors on site and uses a competitive RFP process to select consultants. Me said the bill lists projects across the state, including master plans and research projects totaling roughly $2,186,997 in one section of the bill.

Me spent a significant portion of his presentation on the Alkali Creek reservoir project, outlining the project’s permitting history, about 50% design progress and ongoing easement negotiations with landowners. He said permitting from federal agencies and state certification are in place but that negotiations over ditch modifications and landowner benefits have slowed progress. “We’re asking for about $1,575,000 to add to the engineer’s contract, get through that with the thought of hopefully we can get those option agreements in place,” Me said, describing mitigation options such as piping the Anita ditch and installing center pivots to improve efficiency and water quality.

Committee members asked about the consultant selection process and criteria for short‑listed firms; Me said decisions focus on whether proposals address sponsor issues, task‑level approaches and the value provided for the dollars requested.

Holly Kennedy of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts testified in support of the bill, saying it “supports water use throughout Wyoming.” After public testimony, the committee voted to report the bill as do‑pass and re‑refer it to the Appropriations Committee on a unanimous roll call.

The bill will now move to appropriations for fiscal review and potential floor action. No construction appropriations were adopted at this meeting; committee members said construction components typically return through related committee processes later in the session.