Wyoming State Water Plan, Wyoming Water Development Office
Rafting on Snake River Lake Marie, Snowy Mountains Wyoming Wind River Range picture

Green River Basin Advisory Group
Meeting Record
BAG Meeting No. 2 Notes
Sublette County Library
Pinedale, WY
March 26, 2008

The meeting generally followed the format of the agenda distributed by the WWDO, although there were a couple of changes.

1.Introductions

Earl Degroot, Facilitator on the Planning Team, introduced the team and presented several logistical details about the meeting.

2. Description and purpose of meeting

Earl presented a power point slideshow outlining the purpose of the planning process, explaining the handouts at the meeting, and the methods through which the State and Planning Team was collecting input. That presentation is available here.

3. Pat Tyrrell - SEO Update on Colorado River Basin Topics

Pat gave an update on several issues affecting water use in the Green River Basin.

4. Consultant update

Murray Schroeder presented information and exhibits. showing the progress the consulting team has made making population projections in the basin. That information is available at waterplan.state.wy.us. There were several questions from the audience related to the methods used to make the projections.

5. Presentations

An important goal of the BAG Update process is to advance the BAG.s identification and discussion regarding strategies for resolving basin water use issues. The previous 2001 plan identified many issues, but did not address in depth how those issues might be resolved. With a goal of identifying strategies, this and future BAG meetings are designed to have public presentations from a variety of BAG members. The presentations are intended to present the BAG member.s ideas about what their specific challenges are and what some of the strategies might be for addressing the challenges. By design, this public meeting setting is intended to foster an open discussion about strategies.

To this end, this meeting had two presentations, each followed by a strategies discussion in which ideas were recorded by the planning team. Those ideas were recorded on large paper flip charts (photos attached). Presentations (both available at waterplan.state.wy.us ) were as follows:

1.Town of Pinedale - Gene Ninnie, Town Engineer,

Gene discussed the current water supply master plan that is being performed in conjunction with the WWDC. Pinedale is faced with growth in areas and at rates that are taxing the abilities of the existing water system infrastructure. Gene.s talk focused on the existing system deficiencies and preparing capital improvement plans.

The audience discussion identified the following items as possible useful strategies for Pinedale:

2.Trout Unlimited - Scott Yates, Director Trout Unlimited Wyoming Water Project.

Scotts. presentation discussed several fish passage and habitat projects in eastern Idaho. He focused on partnership opportunities for stream flow restoration and fish passage on private lands. A goal of TU is to meet ranch operational needs and reconnect important small tributary and main stem environments for native and wild trout. The audience discussion identified the following items as possible useful strategies for recreation water users like TU include:

In addition to collecting strategy ideas focused at the Municipal and Recreational users represented by the two speakers above, the planning team also recorded basin wide strategies that might be used to address other issues, and these included: