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1999 LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Active Projects

PROJECT INFORMATION:
The State Engineer's Office (SEO) has seen a number of groundwater permit applications recently for coal bed methane (cbm) projects. There currently are 821 cbm wells statewide, with 690 of those in Campbell County. Information from representatives of the cbm industry indicate that another 1500-2000 cbm wells may be constructed in Campbell County in the next 3-5 years. This number of wells could represent several thousand acre-feet of groundwater withdrawals yearly. As a result of the rapid growth in this industry the SEO has requested $300,000 from the Water Development Account. These funds would be utilized in the drilling, completion, equipping and monitoring of observation wells, and the installation of surface water measuring devices, to be located in the cbm production areas. These monitoring facilities would become part of the SEO statewide observation well network.

The SEO will be required to submit an itemized accounting of expenditures with each transfer request under this cbm authorization, and will be required to submit annual reports and a final report containing all information developed to date and their findings.

This work is underway, but no reporting has yet been made. It is expected that well construction will be completed in 1999.

RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
No legislative action is needed at this time.