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

Northeast River Basin Advisory Group Meeting
Meeting Record
Sundance, WY - Community Room, Crook Co. Courthouse
December 8, 2005 - 1:00 p.m.

Welcome

Facilitator Jodee Pring, WY State Engineer.s Office, welcomed the group and the meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. All attendees introduced themselves, followed by a review of the overall meeting agenda. A sign-in sheet was passed around to record attendance. A list of attendees can be found at the end of these minutes. The next meeting is scheduled for April 13, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. in Newcastle.

Water Development Commission Report

Jodie Pavlica, WY Water Development Office, went over with the group the schedule for this round of Basin Advisory Group (BAG) meetings. November 7th, the Bear River BAG was held in Evanston, November 8th we met with the Green River BAG in Kemmerer and November 9th we met with the Snake/Salt BAG in Jackson. Tuesday afternoon we met with the Wind/Bighorn BAG in Cody, and yesterday we met with the Powder/Tongue BAG in Dayton. The Platte River BAG is scheduled for Tuesday, December 13th in Torrington. Please visit the water planning website at http://waterplan.state.wy.us for agendas, meeting locations and meeting records.

CBMCC Activities Update

Bj Kristiansen gave an update to the BAG of recent activities in which the Coalbed Methane Coordination Coalition (CBMCC) has participated. Mr. Kristiansen demonstrated the use of an excel spreadsheet that has been developed to help assist Emergency Management Systems (EMS). The spreadsheet contains a location point with a northing, easting, latitude, longitude, cell service availability, hyperlink to Google Earth (aerial view) and an actual picture of the site (the sites were developed with the ability for a helicopter to land in mind). There are 37 sites in Sheridan County. The CBMCC is currently working on Johnson Co. and the project map will be completed by the end of the year. These sites are meeting points for emergency personnel. For more information concerning this program, go to http://www.cbmcc.vcn.com/emslocs.htm.

In October, Congress passed a bill to appropriate money for some proactive air quality mitigation work. There needed to be a way to disperse the funds that were available equitably between the counties. To this end, a .Climatological Contour. map was developed. Mr. Kristiansen used information that Mickey Steward developed for climate trends and the information available from the 158 climate stations located within the state. Factors used to determine need within each county included annual precipitation, wind direction and velocity, and mean annul high temperature. The counties involved in this project are Sheridan, Johnson, Campbell, Converse, and Sublette.

Crook County Reservoir, Level I Study Results

Doug Yadon, with SEH Consultants, gave a presentation on the Crook Co. Reservoir study that his firmed completed for the Water Development Commission. A copy of this report can be obtained by contacting the Water Development Commission at 777-7626.

State Framework Discussion

Jodie Pavlica, project manager for the Framework Water Plan, gave a powerpoint presentation highlighting where we have been with water planning and what we can look forward to in the Framework Water Plan. A copy of that presentation can be found here.

Ms. Pavlica spoke about how the Basin Advisory Group (BAG) process would be just a bit different during the course of the Framework Water Plan project than what the BAG is accustomed to. One of the things that will be different is that each of the seven basins will choose a BAG representative and an alternate to represent their basin. A handout entitled, .State Framework Water Plan BAG Representative Criteria. was handed out to the group. A copy of that handout can be found here. Ms. Pavlica went through the list of criteria and explained that one of the responsibilities of the representative will be to attend the 5%, 50% and 90% progress review meetings that will be held during the course of this project. The representative will be responsible for delivering information between their BAG and the Framework consultants.

The meeting attendees were then asked to choose two people, a representative and an alternate, to be their spokesperson. After much discussion, the group decided that Jim Kruse would be their representative and we would continue to look for an alternate.

Jodee Pring then facilitated a discussion with the group concerning their specific basin issues. A spreadsheet was handed out and also projected on the screen for ease of discussion. Information on the spreadsheet was taken from the list of issues that the BAG developed when their basin plan was being written. The purpose of the list is to give the consultants an idea of the concerns and challenges each of the basins are facing. The BAG was asked to review the list and make any changes, additions, deletions, etc. to it. Ms. Pring explained that the spreadsheet is dynamic and will be discussed at all meetings during the course of the Framework Water plan project. Therefore, BAG members can take the list, review it, and tailor it how they see fit.

Understanding that each of the issues on the spreadsheet are important, Ms. Pring then explained to the group that she would like them to discuss and develop a list of their top five most pressing issues. The representative and/or the alternate will then take this list and present it at the 5% Framework Water Plan project meeting to be held sometime in early March. The goal of developing a list of the top 5 most pressing issues is that it will help each of the basins understand the challenges of the other basins and facilitate a discussion among the group and the consultants on what issues Wyoming as a whole is facing.

After much discussion, the attendees developed their top five list. A copy of the entire spreadsheet can be found here: http://www.greenwoodmap.com/framework/msdocs/NortheastBAGissues.html

The meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m


List of Attendees

Name Organization City
Curt Anderson Bureau of Reclamation Rapid City, SD
Terry Everand NRCS Sundance, WY
Wayne Garman Crook Co. Natural Resources District Sundance, WY
Larry Goodson Sundance, WY
Ralph Goodson Sundance, WY
Jim Kruse Niobrara Resources Association Lance Creek, WY
Sue Lowry State Engineer.s Office Cheyenne, WY
Carol Nicholls Weston Co. Natural Resources Dist. Newcastle, WY
Phil Ogle WY Water Development Office Cheyenne, WY
Jodie Pavlica WY Water Development Office Cheyenne, WY
Jodee Pring State Engineer.s Office Cheyenne, WY
Dick Sackett Crook Co. Weed and Pest Sundance, WY
Melissa Smith National Weather Service Rapid City, SD
Kody Steinbrecher State Engineer.s Office Sundance, WY
John Strachan Bureau of Reclamation Rapid City, SD
Pat Tyrrell State Engineer.s Office Cheyenne, WY
Skip Waters Crook Co. Irrigation District Moorcroft, WY
Doug Yadon SHE Consultants Ft. Collins, CO
Robert Yemington WY Water Development Commission Sundance, WY
Dee Zimmerschied Crook Co. Irrigation District Moorcroft, WY