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 envisions 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 proposed
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 provides 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.
The design of this project was complete in 1998 and construction commenced
in July 1998. The project is currently scheduled for completion in the
spring of 2000. Approximately one year of testing and startup operations
are expected after that. The project should be fully functional for the
spring runoff season of 2002.
RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
No legislative action is recommended for this project.
