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

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2003 LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Active Projects

 15. PROJECT:Bridger Valley Water Supply
LEVEL:II-Hold
SPONSOR:Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board and Pioneer Water and Sewer District
LOCATION:Uinta County
PROGRAM:New Development
  
EXISTING LEGISLATION:
Purpose Chapter Session Account Appropriation Due Date
Level II 43 1992 I $125,000   1994
Level II 10 1994 I $300,000   1996
Level II 15 1996 I Hold   1998
Level II 82 1998 I Hold   2000
Level II 36 2000 I Hold* 2002
*A block appropriation of $15,000 was made for all hold projects.

PROJECT INFORMATION:
In 1990, the Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board requested assistance from the WWDC in determining the feasibility of expanding the board's service area. The Joint Powers Board presently supplies water to the towns of Mountain View and Lyman; the Blacks Fork, Lower Bench and Fort Bridger Water Districts; and 176 individual homes and businesses. Water users not in the service area have no potable water or have poor quality water in limited supplies. The Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board felt at that time they had sufficient water rights and water treatment plant capacity to serve additional users not included in the present service area.

In 1991, the WWDC completed the Level I study which evaluated the possibility of serving additional areas. The areas identified as the most likely to connect to the present system include: the area east of Mountain View and south of Lyman; the area surrounding Millburne, which is south of the Fort Bridger Water District and west of Mountain View; and the area surrounding the Uinta County Highway Shop, which is north of the treatment plant. These areas were organized into the Pioneer Water and Sewer District. The cost to connect the district to the present system was estimated to be $3,440,000. The number of potential taps in the district was estimated to be approximately 120. The costs to the potential users to purchase water from the board and repay the loans was estimated at $60-$65 per month per tap.

Due to the Joint Powers Board's inability to provide the necessary loan security, as the proposed project was outside its boundaries, the Pioneer Water and Sewer District took over as the project sponsor.

In 1992, the Level II study defined the proposed transmission pipeline alignment, mapped the proposed alignment, investigated the geologic conditions along that alignment, and evaluated the present water treatment plant. The Level II study found that the Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board system is operating at its maximum capacity and will need a major upgrade to provide clean water to its current members in the very near future. The Lyman Springs, which are a major component of the area water supply, also became a concern due to the possibility of EPA regulation.

In 1993, the sponsor requested an extension of the Level II study. This Level II study extension would investigate the possibility of developing a groundwater source. This groundwater source could serve the Pioneer District and be tied into the Bridger Valley Regional System as an additional water supply. This additional study was to include a groundwater exploration program and will provide conceptual plans and detailed cost estimates for a groundwater supply system to serve the district or to serve the regional system, depending on the results of the groundwater exploration program.

In 1994, the Level II study determined that there is a surface water connection problem with the Lyman Springs.

The Lyman Springs Rehabilitation project has been completed with construction of springs modifications, funded by WWDC and the installation of bag filters funded by the Town of Lyman. In 1995, due to the protests of the landowners in the area, the sponsors decided not to pursue the groundwater exploration program. The joint powers board is presently upgrading their diversion and treatment facilities with construction completion anticipated in the fall of 2003.

RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
The WWDC recommends that the project for expansion of water service be placed on Level II-Hold status.

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