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OUTLINE OF INTERSTATE & POLICY ISSUES
WYOMING STATE ENGINEER'S OFFICE
NOVEMBER 8, 1999 - EVANSTON, WYOMING

GENERAL

-Wyoming is Headwaters State
-Colorado, Columbia & Missouri River basins, Bear River Basin, Great Basin

-Increasing "connectedness" of water issues
-Water Quality - Water Quantity
- Total Maximum Daily Loads
- Stream classifications under Water Quality Chapter 1
- Beneficial Use v. Designated Use
-Endangered Species Act & other Environmental Constraints
-FERC licensing and relicensing of dams
-Tribal and Non-Tribal Federal Reserved Water Rights.

-Water Planning effort
Important to chart our own course
1999 Wyo. Legis. authorized Planning Program in Wyo.
- Boyle Feasibility Report
- Bear River Pilot Study
- Green River Basin Advisory Group
- Powder, Tongue, Belle Fourche up next?

-Surface Water/Ground Water interactions
- Coalbed methane observation - well projects

-Instream flows
- Passed in 1986
- Game & Fish Dept. Biological Analysis
- WWDC Hydrology Report
- 74 Applications received to date

-New Technologies
Gage Station upgrades
Computer Mapping - GIS
Internet Access to Water Rights

-Revision of SEO Rules and Regulations

-Water Conservation
Addition of Conservation Program to SEO
Dry Year Leasing, Temporary Transfers
Salvage Water definition
-Wyo. Hosting Symposium June, 2000, Casper

-Litigation - Interstate
ESA
BOC/SEO appeals
Other (new) forums

Colorado River Basin

-Endangered Fish Recovery Program
-Long Term funding legislation (Federal and State)
(HR 2348, S1544)

-Seven State Discussions
-California's plan to get to 4.4 maf of use
-Arizona Groundwater Banking Program
-Surplus/Shortage Criteria

-Colorado River Salinity Control Program
-USDA - EQIP program
-USBR incentive based program
(S.1211)

-River Operations Issues
-Glen Canyon Dam operations
-FACA Adaptive Management Work Group
-Colorado River Basin Coordinating Council (Green River Basin Advisory Group)
- "Related" litigation
-Southwestern Willow Flycatcher case
-Albuquerque case

Bear River

-20 year review of Bear River Compact
-Water Quality subcommittee to Commission
-Public Involvement Added to Committee's Mission

-Lower Division (Idaho & Utah) Procedures for interstate delivery of water
-Idaho Groundwater Management district
-Development of Joint Model for water delivery and accounting
-Develop Operations Plan for Bear Lake in next 60 days

-FERC relicensing of Pacificorp facilities

-USGS NAWQA program in Bear River drainage

-Potential Rental Pool in Bear Lake

-Utah development of Bear River water for Wasatch Front
-Honeyville
-Barrens
-Willard Bay

-Petition Received for Listing Bonneville Cutthroat Trout under ESA

-Obtuse legal proceedings (Pacificorp/ScottishPower merger)

Snake River

-Jackson Lake/Palisade Dam operation guidelines agreement with Bureau of Reclamation
-Approved in 1996

-West Bank groundwater study conducted by SEO

-Environmental Restoration project - Teton County Natural Resource District

-Bureau of Reclamation decision support study/joint effort (SR3)

-Mainstem Snake/Columbia EIS - dam removal or more water?

Missouri River Basin

-Development of Basin Plan, released April, 98

-Basin-wide conference sponsored by MRBA, consensus of stakeholders on the operating guidelines and role of the States

-MRBA recommendations to COE on Master Manual and other Missouri River operations issues

-Development of Endangered Species Recovery Committee

-New Development

-Twin Lakes - Sheridan
-Tie Hack Dam - Buffalo
-Greybull Valley Dam

Yellowstone River Basin

-Dry Fork Project - potential ESA concerns and tribal issues in FERC licensing process

-Crow Water Rights Compact

-Stream & Reservoir Management Plan
-Montana and Crow Tribe are still seeking DOI approval and DOJ approval
-U.S. Congress will need to approve it next

-Clarks Fork Wild and Scenic River - State water right issues

-USGS NAWQA program in basin

-Coalbed Methane

Wind River Indian Reservation

-Settlement meetings ceased Dec. 1998

-Big Horn General Adjudication

-Walton rights and state permit adjudication continuing
-Appurtenancy and Administration trials
-Phase 3 continuing
-Groundwater Adjudication
-Case completion plan by 2003

Belle Fourche River Basin

-Keyhole Reservoir minimum recreation pool

-Conveyance loss study below Keyhole - UW Civil Eng study

-Black Hills Hydrology Study - USBR, USGS, S. Dakota, Wyoming

-Coal Bed Methane development/Groundwater resource monitoring

North Platte River

-3 Year Cooperative Agreement signed July, 1997
-Recovery program in establishing phase

-NE v. WY Litigation
-Motion to Dismiss - "Modification vs. Enforcement"
-Trial begins March 2000

-NE v. WY Settlement process and update

Regional Water Issues

-Western States Water Council/WGA
-WGA Grant to Sponsor TMDL Workshops across Western States

Bear River Basin Reference Notebook Table of Contents
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