Drought and Water Demand in SE Wyoming (Cheyenne, Casper: for sale, rental)

[sunsprit]

We're finally seeing progress on this concern in SE Wyoming from the State Engineer's Office.

Last week, they released a report on the severity of the problem regarding the groundwater resource in this area of the state. As an irrigator in the area, this is of profound financial impact to us in addition to our domestic well for personal consumption and livestock watering.

Initially, the State Engineer has put in place spacing requirements for new uses to include a minimum of 20 acres for a domestic well and a moratorium on other new permits.

Much blame is being placed on the use of irrigation wells, but I've seen a lot more water being pumped under those permits for fracking purposes. The difference is the end result of the use of the water; ie, in crop irrigation, the water is put back into the soil where it's used by plants, returned to the ground, or evaporates into the air, so it stays in the system to a great extent. But when it's used for fracking, it's generally used to extinction because it doesn't return to the hydrologic system.

Current proposals to address the long term shortage include cutting existing irrigation permits use by half and permanently imposing larger spacing requirements.

This will be a significant adverse impact on an area that is home to the largest population concentration in the state, and an economic area where there is a lot of acreage developed in irrigated farmland that doesn't have an excess of water rights per acre to begin with for the crops here.

The state engineer's website has more information about this: http://seo.wyo.gov/home/news-and-press-releases

Folk in less densely populated areas of WY are not seeing this problem, but here it's been a big deal here for over a decade and it's been way past critical for a long time. The impact on growth in WY may be signficant since this is the area where many new diversified businesses have been moving in to take advantage of the crossroads location, power available, communications network, etc. It's not adequate to have the business development room and sites available, there needs to be room for population residential expansion. Water will be a critical player in this and may be the limiting factor very quickly.

[jody_wy]

SE area always been water poor , there was talks of trans basin ,trans Continental divide , water pumping for over 40 years.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

SE area always been water poor , there was talks of trans basin ,trans Continental divide , water pumping for over 40 years.

True, but the problem is that this is the area where other factors have combined in WY to create the larger economic/population growth density.

The water issue didn't appear to reach a critical level until around 2002, when the drought pattern set in for several years and then regional fracking demands compounded the water problems ... just in time for a significant increase in population in the Cheyenne area with the influx of new business park development, NCAR center, regional distribution warehouses, and now the growth of the extractive industries affiliated businesses here in Cheyenne. We've seen new big farm equipment dealerships built, new heavy truck & equipment dealerships built, new rental outfits spring up in the last 24 months.

While the leading edge of that growth was supplied with labor by locals for a couple of years, the latest growth cycle is bringing in population growth to support it. We've finally run out of an available labor force locally. Housing prices have been steadily climbing, and subdivisions are springing up in undeveloped parcels adjacent to the city limits. This is growth which I'm not seeing matched in other places around WY except for Gillette and Casper.

To accomodate this influx, High West Energy is building a new power generating station in Cheyenne ... I watched them recently install new heavier power poles and lines near my place to support the gas compressor stations here in WY close to the CO border and then down into CO. Here again, a new user of water on an industrial scale taxing the already oversubscribed resource. You can bet that the State Engineer will cut back our ag water to accomodate the industrial user who will get all the water they need per their designed use. At least we see some benefit as HWE coop members, they rebate a portion of our energy costs as owners each year ... although they only rebate a portion of what they calculate they owe us. My account balance is in the thousands, and I've received annual patronage refund checks in the couple hundred dollar range.

[jody_wy]

water the reason the Lummis ranch is for sale, they used to be able to use treated water from the City , but the City think they can use it better

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

water the reason the Lummis ranch is for sale, they used to be able to use treated water from the City , but the City think they can use it better

a real sore point is the City of Cheyenne's use of the water to extinction.

they capture the city-wide run-off and sewer water at the treatment plant, treat and then store it for their own use for other purposes such as golf course, parks, or municipal landscaping.

They used to follow the normal practice of treating the water at the plant and then discharging it into Crow Creek where the downstream water users could have the benefit of the water. No longer.