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BEAR RIVER BASIN PLANNING PROCESS
BASIN ADVISORY GROUP ISSUES

ISSUE DESCRIPTION NOTES & CRITERIA
1) WATER ALLOCATION
a) Current water rights perspective and priorities:
i) Benefits and impacts of current allocations in different uses
Wyoming Water Law - Base Model - Compact Agencies
ii) Restrictions and opportunities of the Bear River Compact
Fundamental to planning process and modeling
iii) Current Law and Prior Appropriation Doctrine
Fundamental to planning process and modeling
iv) Improving Existing Allocations
- Use Model to identify excess water
- Storage opportunities (example: 4100 ac-ft
unbuilt above Stewart Dam.)
- Water conservation
v) Water Transfers and Marketing Feasibility
- Provide model data for present and future impacts
- In-basin transfers
- Out of basin transfers
vi) Water Storage
- Existing Storage
- Operational issues
- Ownership
- Compact limitations
- Storage opportunities
- Structure details/deficiencies
vii) Water Conservation
- Identify of areas of overuse and conflict
- Identify wasteful practices
- Public education
- Storage operational practices
b) Groundwater Definitions:
- Rights, Availability, Uses This is a current issue with compact administration
- Aquifer potential
- Groundwater quality data
2) WATER QUALITY
a) Water quality impacts and benefits:
i) Municipal
ii) Agricultural
iii) Recreational
iv) Industrial/Mining
v) Subdivisions and infrastructure developments (roads, highways, etc.)
vi) Groundwater
vii) Water flow/quality interaction
- Function of Federal Regulation Administered by DEQ using small watershed basins
- Planning process will provide support data including:
- WQ monitoring points
- Identify areas of historical concern
- Historical high/low/future flow data
- Identify point discharges
b) Water quality standards and regulation (i.e. TMDLs):
i) Historical perspective
ii) Point and non-point source differentiation
iii) Coordinating standards with neighboring states
- States are already coordinating on TMDS issues
- Planning will provide supporting WQ and flow data
c) Water quality solutions
i) Locally driven and citizen-based problem solving
ii) Monitoring activities
iii) State agencies and local conservation district involvement
- Planning process will provide supporting data for use by DEQ and others
3. FUTURE DEMANDS AND GROWTH
a) Current allocation patterns:
i) Water rights
ii) Community heritage
- Model historic "baseline" flows and usage
- Provide data to decision makers and public
- Reflect Wyoming water law/historic use
b) Potential shortages by water use sector:
i) Land and water availability
- Spreadsheet model projections for wet, average and dry years
- Impacts of consumptive vs. non-consumptive use
- Quantify conflicting sector usage and frequency
c) Opportunities and solutions to meet existing and future shortages:
i) Efficiency
ii) New Technology
- Identify wasteful practices
- Examine storage operational practices
- Conservation potential
iii) Additional upper basin storage
- Potential use of unbuilt storage above Stewart Dam
iv) Public education
- WRDS, WDC, internet access, public presentations
v) Groundwater
- Quantify aquifer potentials
- Identify compact limitations (This is a current administration issue)
d) Miscellaneous growth issue (i.e. floodplains, open space) - Spreadsheet model will provide tool for understanding growth impacts
4. HABITAT, WILDLIFE and FISHERIES
a) Examine impacts and benefits of existing and future management activities
i) Habitat benefits or impacts of agriculture
ii) Impacts and benefits of water storage projects
- Model will provide tool for understanding potential conflicting uses and the statistical recurrence of those conflicts
- Wyoming water law
b) Compatibility of consumptive and non- consumptive uses of water - Model will provide tool for understanding potential conflicting uses and the statistical recurrence of those conflicts
- Wyoming water law
c) Endangered species issues and solutions - Federal regulations/mandates
- Use model to understand present and future impacts
d) Cost sharing opportunities for projects with benefits to habitat, wildlife and fisheries - Provide data to agencies/decision makers to understand impacts and benefits for possible cost-sharing
5) ECONOMICS
a) Evaluation of economic impacts:
i) Growth and Developments
ii) Agriculture
iii) Additional Storage
iv) New technology and efficiency practices
v) Water quality improvements & cost/benefits analysis
vi) Recreation/Tourism
vii) Marketing water resources
- 3 planning scenarios (baseline, moderate, and high growth)
- 50 year horizon
- Identify demands vs. water use sector
- Economic and demographic forecasting model
- Future water use opportunities:
- long list/short list
- BAG input
- Screening criteria (economic, environmental, legal, public acceptance, water quality, multiple demands, etc.)

- Provide data for public and political decision makers
- Identify compelling needs/projects
- Planning process to provide cost/benefit understanding of water projects
- Identify project beneficiaries by sector or ownership
- Provide basis for state/federal funding assistance


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