WY - Building Political Will

Early efforts dedicated to working with legislators, agricultural groups, and water right holders regarding stream flows issues have focused on legislative alternatives that provide more flexibility for landowners. TU efforts have ranged from participating in the development of specific legislative proposals that increased flexibility for the state, landowner, and community protection of stream flows, to study proposals that assess instream flow alternatives and their economic impacts on traditional water users, burgeoning recreation-based business, and municipalities. TU's most recent legislative work in 2006 involved moving a minor water use study bill through the legislature. While the bill received unanimous support in the Senate, it was opposed by a number of agricultural industry groups and failed in the House. However, a group of Senator's recently sent a letter to the State Engineer's Office requesting that much of the information be compiled by the agency to help inform discourse prior to the 2007 session.

The 2002 through 2006 legislative efforts of TU and our partners have elevated legal and policy discussion regarding stream flow protection and landowner and water user flexibility to a new level in Wyoming. Substantive talks regarding possible legislative changes are now an annual occurrence in Wyoming, and fishery issues are consistently part of the discussion. For 2007, we hope to craft a broader legislative proposal that will have substantial prospective fishery benefits while still meeting the needs of the agricultural and landowner communities. A core part of our new legislative strategy will be to intensify our partnership efforts with Wyoming water users and convince them that statutory change will not only benefit fisheries but can be done in a manner - both in terms of the legislative proposal and eventually, via on-the-ground implementation - that provides operational flexibility and tangible landowner benefits.

The TU Wyoming Water Project will also continue to work with municipalities such as Pinedale on legislative efforts to enable them to use their reservoir storage rights to protect and restore stream flows and benefit native and wild trout fisheries. There is considerable opportunity to work with the Wyoming Association of Municipalities and towns like Sheridan, Buffalo and Lander to design creative strategies to protect and restore stream flows in important trout streams flowing through Wyoming cities and towns.

Wyoming Water Project Reports:

Economic Value of Healthy Fisheries in Wyoming

Gros Ventre River Brochure 2007

For more information contact:

Wyoming Water Project
315 Main Street, Suite 1
Lander, WY 82520
307-332-7700
307-332-9299 (fax)

Scott Yates, Director, Wyoming Water Project
Contact Scott Yates

Cory Toye, Project Manager, Wyoming Water Project
Contact Cory Toye

Nelli Williams, Project Coordinator, Wyoming Water Project
Contact Nelli Williams

Wyoming Water Project Press Archive