Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, ca. 1869-1883
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Sage Grouse Conservation
The State Engineer’s Office has announced that it is adding a step in its water right permit application review procedures to comply with Governor’s Executive Order 2008-2. The executive order is intended to conserve greater sage grouse populations in the state and prevent listing of the species as a threatened or endangered species. Specifically, the executive order states, “New development on land uses within Core Population Areas should be authorized or conducted only when it can be demonstrated by the state agency that the activity will not cause declines in Greater Sage Grouse populations.” Core Population Areas have been identified in the state and represent areas of critical habitat necessary to conserve the species.
Effective January 4, 2010, the State Engineer’s Office will begin screening all new water right permit applications to determine if they are located within a defined Core Population Area. For those applications falling within a Core Population Area, the applicant will be notified of the need to conserve sage grouse and asked to select an option to accomplish this goal. Current options identified by the State Engineer’s Office include the following:
- Relocate the proposed facility outside of a Core Population Area.
- The applicant may provide a biological assessment demonstrating that full development of the project will not impact sage grouse populations.
- The applicant agrees to a set of special permit conditions. Specifically:
- No facilities or construction activities are allowed within 0.6 miles of the perimeter of an occupied sage grouse lek.
- No construction shall take place in a Core Population Area in the March 15th to June 30th time frame.
- The applicant provides evidence that the proposed project will be located in a previously disturbed area such as farmstead or industrial site.
- For small agricultural facilities that support existing land uses and generate limited operation and maintenance activities, the applicant agrees to a special permit condition. Specifically:
- No facilities or construction activities are allowed within 0.25 miles of the perimeter of an occupied sage grouse lek.
The State Engineer’s Office looks forward to working with water right permit applicants as these procedures are implemented. Anyone with questions regarding this policy may contact the State Engineer’s Office at 307-777-6150.
Public Notice State Engineer’s Office Ground Water Division
Pursuant to W.S. § 16-3-103 (a)(ii)(A), the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office – Ground Water Division will hold a public hearing on proposed water well minimum standard rules which were drafted in response to changes in water well industry practices and further understanding of the safeguards that are necessary to protect Wyoming’s groundwater. The hearing will be held at 12:00 p.m., September 24, 2009 at 2800 Central Avenue, Room 106 in Cheyenne. Participation in the hearing will also be available via video conference at the following three (3) locations:
- Cody
Workforce Center
1026 Blackburn
Cody, WY 82414 - Gillette
Workforce Cente
1901 Energy Court, Suite 230
Gillette, WY 82718 - Rock Springs
Workforce Center
2441 Foothill Blvd.
Rock Springs, WY 82901
The purpose of this hearing is for the State Engineer’s Office to gather oral comments from affected persons in the support of and opposition to adoption of the proposed rules. State Engineer’s Office personnel will not offer responses to comments or questions arising during the hearing.
Written comments on the proposed rules are still being accepted through September 16, 2009, by mailing: Lisa Lindemann, Ground Water Division, State Engineer’s Office, Herschler Bldg 4E, Cheyenne, WY 82002.
Copies of the proposed rules can be viewed and/or downloaded from the State Engineer’s Office website Ground Water Division Page or at the address listed below.
For further information, contact Lisa Lindemann at 307-777-6163.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, special assistance or alternative formats will be made available upon request for individuals with disabilities.
Ground Water Division Intends to Promulgate New Rules:
Water Well Minimum Construction Standards
The State Engineer’s Office-Ground Water Division intends to promulgate new rules in Part III, “Water Well Minimum Construction Standards”, of the State Engineer’s Office rules. New rules are being promulgated in response to changes in water well drilling industry practices and further understanding of the necessary safeguards to protect Wyoming’s groundwater.
The proposed rules are available for public inspection for 45 days (commencing August 2, 2009 and ending September 16, 2009). Any interested person may submit data, views, or arguments to the Ground Water Division on or before September 16, 2009. Each objection shall contain, at a minimum, 1) the objector’s name, address and telephone number, and 2) the reason for the objection. Objections should be addressed to:
State Engineer's Office
Ground Water Division
c/o Lisa Lindemann, Administrator
Herschler Building, 4 East
Cheyenne, WY 82002
State Engineer’s Office Advises Early Application
for Ground Water Permits
If you anticipate applying for a ground water permit to drill a water well or develop a spring, be advised that the State Engineer’s Office – Ground Water Division is currently experiencing 5 to 6 weeks to process an application from start to finish. Note: you must have an approved permit before you begin drilling a well or developing a spring. Typically, the agency seeks to complete permit application review procedures in 30 days or less. However, staff availability and procedural modifications are extending review times somewhat in the near term. Please bear with us as we work through this process to improve and expedite your permit application review and approval. We hope to return to more typical processing times as soon as possible.
Prospective appropriators can minimize the amount of time it takes to process their application by insuring the U.W. 5 form, “Application for Permit to Appropriate Ground Water”, is completed correctly. Defective applications will be returned to the applicant, effectively extending processing times. Incomplete applications require more processing time if applicants must be contacted to obtain missing information.
Also, remember to include the correct application fee. As of May 1, 2009, the application fees for ground water permits increased to the following:
| Domestic and/or stock use wells | $50.00 |
| Irrigation, municipal, industrial, and miscellaneous use wells | $75.00 |
| Coalbed natural gas wells | $50.00 (unchanged) |
As of July 1, 2008, Wyoming Statute 33-42-101 through 33-42-117 requires most water well drilling and pump installation activities to be conducted by a licensed Wyoming Water Well Contractor. You can conduct an electronic search for a licensed contractor at http://seo.state.wy.us/wrdb/WDPI_search.aspx or call the Ground Water Division for assistance at (307) 777-6163. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
Contact: Lisa Lindeman, Administrator, Ground Water Division
Office: 307-777-6163
- Flow Summary information will resume April 1, 2010 - Questions call (307) 856-0747
- Daily Wind River and Big Horn River flow levels - (307) 856-2912
- Daily Regulation information for Owl Creek Water Users - (307) 867-2472
- Daily Regulation information for
Greybull River Drainage Water Users - (307) 868-2524
The mission of the Wyoming State Engineer's Office and Board of Control is to provide for the general supervision and protection of both inter- and intra-state waters of this state. This includes the appropriation, distribution and application to beneficial use of water as provided under the prior appropriation doctrine, and to maintain the flexibility within that framework to meet the changing needs of the citizens of Wyoming. The State Engineer's Office collects, analyzes, maintains and provides water related information for ensuring the appropriate management and regulation of Wyoming's water resources.
- Permitting and Adjudication of Water Rights - prior to using any water in the state, the appropriator is required to obtain a permit. The permit is the first step in acquiring a water right and it defines the conditions of use as well as the priority date. Once a permit has been issued, the permit holder may begin construction of the facility (well, ditch, reservoir, etc.) and begin beneficial use of Wyoming water.
Upon satisfying the conditions of the permit, the appropriator may file a notice of beneficial use and seek adjudication of the water right by the Board of Control (BOC). The employees involved in permitting and adjudication of water rights are primarily located in the Herschler Building in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
- Administration and Regulation – Wyoming has an arid climate and most areas of the state experience water shortages at some point during the year. During these times, water is allocated to senior water users based upon the doctrine of prior appropriation and numerous Wyoming Statutes that support this doctrine. This administration and regulation is supervised by the agency’s four Division Superintendents. Each Superintendent is located in one of the four Division offices (Torrington, Sheridan, Riverton, and Cokeville). Each Superintendent has a staff of Hydrographer/ Water Commissioners that are located in 24 offices across the state. These employees are responsible to allocate water by field regulating headgates, pumps, stream diversions, etc.
- Administration of Interstate Compacts and Decrees – Wyoming is party to seven interstate water compacts and three interstate court decrees. These documents define the amounts of water that Wyoming must provide to downstream states. A staff of four employees in Cheyenne maintains contact with adjoining states and federal agencies to assure compliance with various compacts and decrees. Additionally, they monitor federal actions that might impair Wyoming’s ability to use its water.
State Engineer: Patrick T. Tyrrell
122 West 25th Street
4th Floor East
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: (307) 777-6150
Fax: (307) 777-5451
Email: seoleg@seo.wyo.gov