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Harry C. LaBonde, Jr., PE, Director 
6920 Yellowtail Rd, Cheyenne, WY 82002 
Phone: 307-777-7626 

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2002 LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Active Projects

 53. PROJECT:Greybull Valley Dam and Reservoir
LEVEL:III
SPONSOR:Greybull Valley Irrigation District
LOCATION:Park County
PROGRAM:New Development
  
EXISTING LEGISLATION:
Purpose Chapter Session Account Appropriation Due Date
Level III-I 28 1994 I $3,000,000* 2000
Level III 59 1996 I $37,000,000* 2000
*75% grant, 25% loan (4%, 50 years)

PROJECT INFORMATION:
The Greybull Valley Irrigation District serves 80,000 acres of irrigated land in Park and Big Horn Counties and has experienced severe water shortages for several years. Increased storage will provide considerable agricultural and economic benefits.

The project includes a diversion dam on the Greybull River, a 4-mile supply canal, and an off- channel reservoir on a tributary of Roach Gulch, which is a tributary of the Greybull River downstream of Meeteetse. The reservoir will have a capacity of 30,000 acre feet.

The Level II study was phased. The first phase was completed in 1990 and concentrated on the hydrologic and geotechnical feasibility of the project. It was determined that the project is technically feasible. The second phase served to evaluate the costs and benefits of the two most feasible dam sites and select the preferred site. The third phase included the development of the conceptual designs and cost estimates. In 1992, contacts with the Bureau of Reclamation indicated that the project may be eligible for partial federal funding through the Small Reclamation Project Act. The sponsor and WWDC decided it would be in the best interests of both parties to delay the project and seek federal funding. However, in 1993, Dan Beard, the Commissioner of the Bureau, indicated that the Small Reclamation Program would be discontinued. Therefore, it was concluded that the project would have to be funded by the Water Development Program.

The estimated total cost for the proposed project is $40,000,000. Due to a lack of funds in Water Development Account I, a phased Level III recommendation was made and granted in 1994. The initial appropriation of $3,000,000 provided funding for permit procurement, land acquisition, and final design for the project. In 1994, consultants were selected by the district and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed project. In 1996, an additional appropriation of $37,000,000 completed funding and allowed the project to proceed through design to construction.

The design of this project was complete in 1998. The design involved a demanding foundation due to the difficult geology in the area. This influenced the construction, delaying completion by nearly approximately one month

Project construction started in the summer of 1998. The supply canal was complete in December of 1999 and the Dam was complete in Spring of 2000. Lack of adequate runoff has prohibited the complete first fill and evaluation of the dam performance. This has caused the project to remain open to address any problems which may manifest.

RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
An extension of the reversion date until 2005 is recommended.

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