Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, ca. 1869-1883
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Ground Water Division Intends to Promulgate New Rules:
Water Well Minimum Construction Standards
The State Engineer’s Office-Ground Water Division intends to promulgate new rules in Part III, “Water Well Minimum Construction Standards”, of the State Engineer’s Office rules. New rules are being promulgated in response to changes in water well drilling industry practices and further understanding of the necessary safeguards to protect Wyoming’s groundwater.
The proposed rules are available for public inspection for 45 days (commencing August 2, 2009 and ending September 16, 2009). Any interested person may submit data, views, or arguments to the Ground Water Division on or before September 16, 2009. Each objection shall contain, at a minimum, 1) the objector’s name, address and telephone number, and 2) the reason for the objection. Objections should be addressed to:
State Engineer's Office
Ground Water Division
c/o Lisa Lindemann, Administrator
Herschler Building, 4 East
Cheyenne, WY 82002
State Engineer’s Office Advises Early Application
for Ground Water Permits
If you anticipate applying for a ground water permit to drill a water well or develop a spring, be advised that the State Engineer’s Office – Ground Water Division is currently experiencing 5 to 6 weeks to process an application from start to finish. Note: you must have an approved permit before you begin drilling a well or developing a spring. Typically, the agency seeks to complete permit application review procedures in 30 days or less. However, staff availability and procedural modifications are extending review times somewhat in the near term. Please bear with us as we work through this process to improve and expedite your permit application review and approval. We hope to return to more typical processing times as soon as possible.
Prospective appropriators can minimize the amount of time it takes to process their application by insuring the U.W. 5 form, “Application for Permit to Appropriate Ground Water”, is completed correctly. Defective applications will be returned to the applicant, effectively extending processing times. Incomplete applications require more processing time if applicants must be contacted to obtain missing information.
Also, remember to include the correct application fee. As of May 1, 2009, the application fees for ground water permits increased to the following:
| Domestic and/or stock use wells | $50.00 |
| Irrigation, municipal, industrial, and miscellaneous use wells | $75.00 |
| Coalbed natural gas wells | $50.00 (unchanged) |
As of July 1, 2008, Wyoming Statute 33-42-101 through 33-42-117 requires most water well drilling and pump installation activities to be conducted by a licensed Wyoming Water Well Contractor. You can conduct an electronic search for a licensed contractor at http://seo.state.wy.us/wrdb/WDPI_search.aspx or call the Ground Water Division for assistance at (307) 777-6163. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
Contact: Lisa Lindeman, Administrator, Ground Water Division
Office: 307-777-6163
- Flow Summary
- Daily Wind River and Big Horn River flow levels - (307) 856-2912
- Daily Regulation information for Owl Creek Water Users - (307) 867-2472
- Daily Regulation information for
Greybull River Drainage Water Users - (307) 868-2524
The mission of the Wyoming State Engineer's Office and Board of Control is to provide for the general supervision and protection of both inter- and intra-state waters of this state. This includes the appropriation, distribution and application to beneficial use of water as provided under the prior appropriation doctrine, and to maintain the flexibility within that framework to meet the changing needs of the citizens of Wyoming. The State Engineer's Office collects, analyzes, maintains and provides water related information for ensuring the appropriate management and regulation of Wyoming's water resources.
- Permitting and Adjudication of Water Rights - prior to using any water in the state, the appropriator is required to obtain a permit. The permit is the first step in acquiring a water right and it defines the conditions of use as well as the priority date. Once a permit has been issued, the permit holder may begin construction of the facility (well, ditch, reservoir, etc.) and begin beneficial use of Wyoming water.
Upon satisfying the conditions of the permit, the appropriator may file a notice of beneficial use and seek adjudication of the water right by the Board of Control (BOC). The employees involved in permitting and adjudication of water rights are primarily located in the Herschler Building in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
- Administration and Regulation – Wyoming has an arid climate and most areas of the state experience water shortages at some point during the year. During these times, water is allocated to senior water users based upon the doctrine of prior appropriation and numerous Wyoming Statutes that support this doctrine. This administration and regulation is supervised by the agency’s four Division Superintendents. Each Superintendent is located in one of the four Division offices (Torrington, Sheridan, Riverton, and Cokeville). Each Superintendent has a staff of Hydrographer/ Water Commissioners that are located in 24 offices across the state. These employees are responsible to allocate water by field regulating headgates, pumps, stream diversions, etc.
- Administration of Interstate Compacts and Decrees – Wyoming is party to seven interstate water compacts and three interstate court decrees. These documents define the amounts of water that Wyoming must provide to downstream states. A staff of four employees in Cheyenne maintains contact with adjoining states and federal agencies to assure compliance with various compacts and decrees. Additionally, they monitor federal actions that might impair Wyoming’s ability to use its water.
State Engineer: Patrick T. Tyrrell
122 West 25th Street
4th Floor East
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: (307) 777-6150
Fax: (307) 777-5451
Email: seoleg@seo.wyo.gov