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HB0334 • 2025

Instream flow amendments.

AN ACT relating to water; allowing for the private ownership of water rights for instream flow purposes; and providing for an effective date.

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Representative Storer
Last action
2025-02-03
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The exact process for transferring and changing instream flow water rights is not detailed in this summary.

Water Rights for Instream Flow

The bill allows private individuals to own water rights for instream flow purposes.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows private individuals to buy, sell, or transfer water rights meant for keeping water in streams.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People and organizations interested in owning water rights for environmental purposes.
  • The state of Wyoming, which will still be able to own these water rights.

Terms To Know

Instream flow
Water kept in a stream for environmental or recreational purposes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass, so the rules it proposed will not go into effect.
  • It is unclear how many people or organizations might want to own these new types of water rights.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-03 House

    H Did not Consider for Introduction

  2. 2025-01-30 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2025-01-29 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
25LSO-0792
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0792
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0334

Instream flow amendments.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Storer

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to water; allowing for the private ownership of water rights for instream flow purposes; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 41
‑
3
‑
1002(e) and 41
‑
3
‑
1007 by creating a new subsection (b) and by renumbering (b) as (c) are amended to read:

41
‑
3
‑
1002.

Instream flows to be by stream segment; waters for instream flows may be sold, transferred or otherwise conveyed under certain restrictions; ownership restricted.

(e)

No

person

other than
T
he state of Wyoming
shall
or any person may
own any instream flow water right.

41
‑
3
‑
1007.

Acquisition of existing rights for instream flow purposes.

(b)

Any person may acquire an existing water right or petition for a change of use for instream flow purposes in accordance with this chapter.

(b)
(c)

Any such water rights acquired and changed shall be limited to a specified stream segment by the board of control with priority date intact.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(END)

1
HB0334