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Water Development Office

Bear River Basin Advisory Group
Meeting Record
Evanston, WY
May 18, 1998

(The next meeting is in Kemmerer, June 22, 6:00 PM at the Fossil Country Museum, 400 Pine Avenue.)

Participants were asked to review their responses to the matrix provided by the planning team. After nearly two and one-half hours of discussion the group had generated a number of specific recommendations to address criteria under the Agriculture issue relative the Bear River Basin.

Due to time limitations the group was then asked to look at all 13 statewide issues and the corresponding criteria and impart the ideas generated at this meeting and any others into the matrix. These responses will be submitted to the Planning Team in advance of the June meeting. All the information will be compiled and examined at the June meeting to generate additional ideas and discussion.

The results of our meeting are compiled below for your use:

AGRICULTURE

Water Quality

1. Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) - TMDL standards must be established prior to preparation of the plan. Local groups should be used to assist with establishment of standards.

2. The plan must contain specific solutions to address water quality problems including projects and developments.

3. Benefits of agriculture to water quality need to be articulated

4. Discharge issues from municipalities and industry must be addressed

5. Maintenance of existing water rights and their benefits to preservation of flows should be addressed

6. Practicality and economics of water quality issues should be included

7. Maintenance of existing water rights to preserve water quality should be addressed

8. An evaluation of benefits and impacts of agriculture to water quality

9. Comparisons should be made between water quality standards for each state in the Bear River Compact.

Water Rights and Allocation

10. The Plan should examine availability of land and water (existing and potential) for agricultural development. Potential for additional storage including off channel sites should be examined.

11. Examine the efficiency of use to improve allocations

12. Don't use out-of-basin transfers to improve allocations

13. Examine existing allocations including depletions and storage regarding the Bear River Compact

14. Examine current allocations and determine best uses of water

15. See #7

16. Place a high priority within the plan on agricultural water rights

Habitat, Wildlife and Fisheries

17. The plan should examine protections from the ESA via #3 and,

18. Benefits to fisheries and economics of water storage projects should be addressed

19. Contributions of agriculture to open space and wildlife habitat need to be identified

20. Benefits of agriculture and wildlife and fisheries

21. Benefits of agriculture to waterfowl and wetlands

22. Impacts of nuisance wildlife (beaver and muskrats) to agricultural water distribution systems

23. See #8

24. Benefits and impacts of agriculture to in-stream flows, mediating flows and timing of flows. The plan should also review existing in-stream flow laws and application processes.

25. See #7

26. Explore compatible uses between agriculture and wildlife

Future Demands and Growth

27. See #10

28. See #11

29. See #13

30. See #4

31. See #12

32. Examine in-basin transfers

33. See #1

34. See #6

35. See #5

36. See #18

37. See #s 14-16, 7

38. State needs the ability to implement plans by allowing state law to supercede federal laws and regulations (except the compact)

39. Economic development must minimize impacts on agriculture

40. Future growth and developed must assess impacts to groundwater

Economic Uses and Valuation

41. Emphasize improved economics of agriculture based on new technologies

42. Evaluate value added opportunities for agriculture

43. Evaluate economic benefits of water development (recreation, industry, wildlife, fisheries, etc.)

44. Examine how agriculture improves wildlife and fisheries habitat which attracts more tourism and other industries.


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