Read the full stored bill text
23LSO-0376
ORIGINAL Senate
ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0096
ENROLLED ACT NO. 97,
SENATE
SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2023 General Session
AN ACT relating to water development projects; authorizing specified level I and level II studies; providing appropriations; requiring reports; providing for the reversion of unexpended funds; authorizing unobligated funds to be used to complete other designated projects as specified; extending reversion and study dates; authorizing a position; and providing an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
[2023-2024 WATER PROGRAM]
[AUTHORIZED LEVEL I AND LEVEL II STUDIES]
Section 1.
LEVEL I RECONNAISSANCE STUDIES – NEW DEVELOPMENT
. The following sums of money are appropriated from water development account I, as created by W.S. 41
‑
2
‑
124(a)(i), to the water development commission to be expended to conduct the following reconnaissance studies as defined in W.S. 41-2-114. Funds appropriated under this section for a particular project that are in excess of the actual amount necessary to complete the study may, subject to the review and recommendation of the select water committee, be expended by the commission to complete the reconnaissance study for any other project listed in this section. Appropriated funds not expended or obligated prior to July 1, 2026 shall revert to water development account I. The commission shall submit a report to the legislature on each of the following studies prior to the 2025 legislative session:
[LEVEL I RECONNAISSANCE STUDIES - NEW DEVELOPMENT]
Project
Location
Appropriation
Glendo Water Master Plan
Platte County
$180,000
Newcastle Water Master Plan
Weston County
$223,000
Orchard Valley Water Master Plan
Laramie County
$222,000
Ranchester Water Master Plan
Sheridan County
$128,000
Rawlins Water Master Plan
Carbon County
$250,000
UW Water Research Program
Statewide
$442,820
Wardwell Water Master Plan
Natrona County
$151,000
Total appropriation for Section 1
$1,596,820
Section 2
.
LEVEL II FEASIBILITY STUDIES – NEW DEVELOPMENT
. The following sums of money are appropriated from water development account I, as created by W.S. 41
‑
2
‑
124(a)(i), to the water development commission to be expended to conduct the following feasibility studies as defined in W.S. 41-2-114. Funds appropriated under this section for a particular project that are in excess of the actual amount necessary to complete the study may, subject to the review and recommendation of the select water committee, be expended by the commission to complete the feasibility study for any other project listed in this section. Appropriated funds not expended or obligated prior to July 1, 2026 shall revert to water development account I. The commission shall submit a report to the legislature on each of the following studies prior to the 2025 legislative session:
[LEVEL II FEASIBILITY STUDIES - NEW DEVELOPMENT]
PROJECT
LOCATION
APPROPRIATION
Central Wyoming Regional Water
System Well Field Study
Natrona County
$1,567,000
GR-RS-SC JPWB Eastside
Zone Study
Sweetwater County
228,000
Total appropriation for Section 2
$1,795,000
Section 3.
LEVEL I RECONNAISSANCE STUDIES – REHABILITATION
. The following sums of money are appropriated from water development account II, as created by W.S. 41
‑
2
‑
124(a)(ii), to the water development commission to be expended to conduct the following reconnaissance studies as defined in W.S. 41
‑
2
‑
114. Funds appropriated under this section for a particular project that are in excess of the actual amount necessary to complete the study may, subject to the review
and recommendation of the select water committee, be expended by the commission to complete the reconnaissance study for any other project listed in this section. Appropriated funds not expended or obligated prior to July 1, 2026 shall revert to water development account II. The commission shall submit a report to the legislature on each of the following studies prior to the 2025 legislative session.
[LEVEL I RECONNAISSANCE STUDIES - REHABILITATION]
Project
Location
Appropriation
Casper Alcova Irrigation
District Master Plan
Natrona County
$310,000
Goshen Irrigation District
Master Plan
Goshen County
$300,000
Sidon Irrigation District
Master Plan
Big Horn County
$177,000
Tillard Canal Master Plan
Big Horn County
$173,000
Total appropriation for Section 3
$960,000
Section 4.
LEVEL II FEASIBILITY STUDIES – REHABILITATION
. The following sums of money are appropriated from water development account II, as created by W.S. 41
‑
2
‑
124(a)(ii), to the water development commission to be expended to conduct the following feasibility studies as defined in W.S. 41
‑
2
‑
114. Funds appropriated under this section for a particular project that are in excess of the actual amount necessary to complete the study may, subject to the review
and recommendation of the select water committee, be expended by the commission to complete the feasibility study for any other project listed in this section. Appropriated funds not expended or obligated prior to July 1, 2026 shall revert to water development account II. The commission shall submit a report to the legislature on each of the following studies prior to the 2025 legislative session.
[LEVEL II FEASIBILITY STUDIES - REHABILITATION]
Project
Location
Appropriation
Cody Canal Rehabilitation
Park County
$257,000
GVID Upper Sunshine Outlet
Works Rehab
Park County
$621,000
Lakeview Irrigation District
Rehabilitation
Park County
$160,000
Shoshoni Groundwater Supply &
Transmission
Fremont County
$249,000
Willwood Irrigation District
Rehabilitation
Park and Big Horn Counties
$346,000
Total appropriation for Section 4
$1,633,000
Section 5.
There is appropriated five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) from the water development account I, as created by W.S. 41-2-124(a)(i), to the water development commission to be expended for the Green River/Little Snake River Basins Conveyance Loss Study. This appropriation is contingent upon the transfer of funds to water development account I as described in section 8 of this act and shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert to water development account I as provided by law on July 1, 2026.
Section 6.
2017 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 65, Section 2 is amended to read:
Section 2.
LEVEL II FEASIBILITY STUDIES – NEW DEVELOPMENT
.
(a)
The
following
sums of money
listed in subsection (d) of this section
are appropriated from water development account I, as created by W.S. 41-2-124(a)(i), to the water development commission to be expended to conduct the
following
feasibility studies as defined in W.S. 41-2-114
that are listed in subsection (d) of this section
. Funds appropriated under this section for a particular project
which
that
are in excess of the actual amount necessary to complete the study may, subject to the review of the select water committee, be expended by the commission to complete
the
any other
feasibility study
for any other project
listed in this section.
Appropriated funds
(b)
The sums of money appropriated to the following studies by subsection (d) of this section that are
not obligated prior to July 1, 2020 shall revert to water development account I
.
and t
he commission shall submit a report to the legislature on each of the following studies prior to the 2019 legislative session:
(i)
Big Horn Regional Southern Water Supply;
(ii)
Buffalo Groundwater Supply;
(iii)
GR/RS/SC JPWB Wind River Zone Study;
(iv)
Lake DeSmet Facilities Acquisition; and
(v)
Rolling Hills Groundwater Supply.
(c)
The sums of money appropriated to the following studies by subsection (d) of this section that are not obligated prior to July 1, 2026 shall revert to water development account I and the commission shall submit a report to the legislature on each of the following studies prior to the 2025 legislative session:
(i)
Douglas Test Well Study.
(d)
The following feasibility studies and appropriations are authorized under this section:
[LEVEL II FEASIBILITY STUDIES – NEW DEVELOPMENT]
PROJECT
LOCATION
APPROPRIATION
Big Horn Regional Southern
Water Supply
Hot Springs County
$180,000
Buffalo Groundwater Supply
Johnson County
$180,000
Douglas Test Well Study
Converse County
$1,205,000
$1,655,000
GR/RS/SC JPWB Wind River
Zone Study
Sweetwater County
$180,000
Lake DeSmet Facilities
Acquisition
Johnson County
$200,000
Rolling Hills Groundwater
Supply
Converse County
$750,000
Total
2017
appropriation for Section 2
$2,695,000
Total 2023 appropriation for Section 2
$450,000
Section 7.
2021 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 11, Section 5 is amended to read:
Section 5.
TIME EXTENSION FOR
LEVEL II FEASIBILITY STUDIES – DAMS AND RESERVOIRS
. In the 2015 Omnibus water bill – planning, 2015 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 168, Section 5, the following sums of money
were
are
appropriated from water development account III, as created by W.S. 41-2-124(a)(iii), to the water development commission to be expended to conduct the following feasibility studies as defined in W.S. 41-2-114. A three (3) year time extension is granted for the Shell Valley Storage – Leavitt Reservoir project and appropriated funds for that project not obligated prior to July 1, 2021 shall revert to water development account III. A six (6)
year time extension is granted for the Clear Creek Storage
and Nowood River Storage – Alkali Cr. projects
project
and funds appropriated for
those projects
the project
but not obligated prior to July 1, 2024 shall revert to water development account III.
A seven (7)
year time extension is granted for the Nowood River Storage – Alkali Cr. project and funds appropriated for that project but not obligated prior to July 1, 2025 shall revert to water development account III.
The commission shall submit a report to the legislature prior to the 2020 legislative session: on the Shell Valley Storage – Leavitt Reservoir project study
;
and
prior to the 2023 legislative session on the Clear Creek Storage
and Nowood River Storage – Alkali Cr. studies
study; and prior to the 2024 legislative session on the Nowood River Storage – Alkali Cr. study
.
[LEVEL II FEASIBILITY STUDIES – DAMS AND RESERVOIRS]
PROJECT
LOCATION
APPROPRIATION
Clear Creek Storage
Johnson County
$700,000
Nowood River Storage -
Big Horn,
Alkali Cr.
Washakie
Counties
$4,000,000
$4,420,000
Shell Valley Storage -
Big Horn
Leavitt Reservoir
County
$4,500,000
Total 2015 appropriation for Section 5
$9,200,000
Total 2018 appropriation for Section 5
$0
Total 2021 appropriation for Section 5
$0
Total 2023 appropriation for Section 5
$420,000
Section 8.
The state auditor shall transfer five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) from the general fund to water development account I as created by W.S. 41
‑
2
‑
124(a)(i).
Section 9.
(a)
The water development office is authorized one (1) full-time employee for an upper Colorado river basin project coordinator. There is appropriated one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000.00) from water development account I as created by W.S. 41
‑
2-124(a)(i) to the water development office for purposes of funding the position created by this section for the period beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024. These funds shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation on June 30, 2024 shall revert as provided by law. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation and this full-time employee be included in the standard budget for the water development office for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.
(b)
There is appropriated five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) from water development account I as created by W.S. 41-2-124(a)(i) to the water development office for the purpose of engaging the services of consultants and other qualified professionals as needed to assist with upper Colorado river basin projects or potential projects. These funds shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation on July 1, 2026 shall revert as provided by law.
Section 10.
There is appropriated sixteen million six hundred eighty-eight thousand forty-three dollars ($16,688,043.00) from the general fund to water development account III, as created by W.S. 41-2-124(a)(iii).
Section 11.
There is appropriated five million eight hundred eleven thousand nine hundred fifty-seven dollars ($5,811,957.00) from the general fund to water development account I, as created by W.S. 41-2-124(a)(i).
Section 12
.
This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(END)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.
Chief Clerk
1