SF0127 - Green River/Wind River water storage.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0465

 

 

 

SENATE FILE NO.  SF0127

 

 

Green River/Wind River water storage.

 

Sponsored by: Select Water Committee

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to water development; reserving water
 2  development program funds for water storage projects in the
 3  Green and Wind Rivers and their tributaries; authorizing
 4  construction of storage projects pending approval of
 5  project specific legislation; specifying terms and
 6  conditions of funding for the storage projects; providing
 7  appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

 8 

 9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

10 

11         Section 1.  W.S.99-3-601 through 99-3-604are created
12  to read:

13 

14                         ARTICLE 6

15              GREEN RIVER/WIND RIVER PROJECTS

16 

17         99-3-601.  Definitions.

 

Page  1

 

 

 

 1 

 2         (a)  As used in this article:

 3 

 4              (i)  "Commission" means the Wyoming water
 5  development commission;

 6 

 7              (ii)  "Projects" means dam and storage projects,
 8  spillways, outlet works and appurtenances as described in
 9  the Level III construction projects new development in W.S.
10  99-3-604;

11 

12              (iii)  "Water development account" means the
13  account created by W.S. 41-2-124.

14 

15         99-3-602.  Project components.

16 

17         (a)  The Green River/Wind River projects consist of
18  the following components:

19 

20              (i)  Dams;

21 

22              (ii)  Emergency spillways;

23 

 

Page  2

 

 

 

 1              (iii)  Outlet works consisting of principal
 2  spillways and operating spillways;

 3 

 4              (iv)  Dam access roads;

 5 

 6              (v)  Embankment instrumentation;

 7 

 8              (vi)  Remote sensing and control features;

 9 

10              (vii)  Gauging stations;

11 

12              (viii)  Power supply facilities;

13 

14              (ix)  Utility and road relocations as necessary
15  to construct and implement the projects;

16 

17              (x)  Boat ramps, parking areas for the boat ramp
18  areas and access roads to the boat ramps;

19 

20              (xi)  Conveyance facilities;

21 

22              (xii)  Appurtenances necessary to make the
23  project complete and function in the manner intended.

24 

 

Page  3

 

 

 

 1         99-3-603.  Authorization.

 2 

 3         (a)  The commission may expend funds appropriated in
 4  project specific legislation that is approved by the
 5  legislature, to perform the following:

 6 

 7              (i)  Prepare environmental impact statements or
 8  assessments, as required;

 9 

10              (ii)  Perform final designs;

11 

12              (iii)  Prepare plans and specifications;

13 

14              (iv)  Obtain options, land exchange or purchase
15  agreements for the necessary projects' lands and easements;

16 

17              (v)  Procure the 404 permits from the United
18  States Army Corps of Engineers, the 401 permits from the
19  Wyoming department of environmental quality and the permit
20  to construct from the Wyoming state engineer's office;

21 

22              (vi)  Perform other incidental work required to
23  prepare the projects for construction.

24 

 

Page  4

 

 

 

 1         (b)  Upon enactment of project specific legislation
 2  that is approved by the legislature, the commission may
 3  negotiate project sponsorship and water sales contracts
 4  with entities formed pursuant to Wyoming law that
 5  demonstrate a need for water and desire to participate in
 6  the projects.

 7 

 8         (c)  Upon enactment of project specific legislation
 9  that is approved by the legislature, the commission may
10  either purchase necessary project lands and easements and
11  construct and operate the projects in a manner consistent
12  with this article or develop a project agreement with a
13  sponsor in a manner consistent with the terms and
14  conditions outlined in the agreements established under
15  Level III construction projects new development in W.S.
16  99-3-604.

17 

18         99-3-604.  Level III construction projects new
19  development.

20 

21         (a)  The provisions of W.S. 99-3-103(a)(i) through
22  (xi) and (xiv) shall apply to this article.

23 

24         (b)  Green River/Wind River projects:

 

Page  5

 

 

 

 1 

 2         (i)  Projects sponsors: The specific projects
 3  referred to throughout the article may be sponsored by an
 4  irrigation district, watershed improvement district, city
 5  or town, the state, or any political subdivision formed
 6  pursuant to Wyoming law and approved by the attorney
 7  general, or a sponsor with whom the state may contract;

 8 

 9              (ii)  Projects purposes: To reserve water
10  development program funds for construction of dams and
11  reservoirs which may serve new irrigation and multi-purpose
12  projects and provide supplemental water supplies for
13  agricultural and municipal purposes within the Green River
14  and Wind River drainage basins and their tributaries, which
15  may provide new water supplies for the development of new
16  hydropower facilities within the basins, and which may
17  provide cooling water needed for the construction of new
18  thermal electric generation facilities in the basins;

19 

20              (iii)  Projects description: To reserve water
21  development program funds which will eventually be used to
22  fund the construction of dams and reservoirs in the Green
23  River and Wind River basins and their tributaries, to fund
24  the enlargement of existing dams and reservoirs within the

Page  6

 

 

 

 1  Green River and Wind River basins and their tributaries,
 2  and to fund appurtenances necessary to make the projects
 3  complete and function in the manner intended;

 4 

 5              (iv)  Total projects budget: Seventy million
 6  dollars ($70,000,000.00);

 7 

 8              (v)  Appropriation: There is appropriated from
 9  water development account I to the commission seventy
10  million dollars ($70,000,000.00) or as much thereof as
11  necessary to carry out the purpose of this subsection.
12  Unexpected funds appropriated shall revert to water
13  development account I on July 1, 2010;

14 

15              (vi)  Special conditions:

16 

17                   (A)  Expenditures shall not occur until the
18  legislature has approved project specific legislation that
19  conforms to the purposes described in paragraph (ii) of
20  this subsection;

21 

22                   (B)  Expenditures for the Green River/Wind
23  River projects may only occur once the legislature has

Page  7

 

 

 

 1  approved project specific legislation for projects that can
 2  demonstrate noninjury to existing water appropriators;

 3 

 4                   (C)  Only those projects within the Wind
 5  River basin that are consistent with the courts' decisions
 6  in the Big Horn River general adjudication, as interpreted
 7  by the attorney general, or with an amendment to those
 8  decisions by stipulation of the parties and entry of court
 9  order adopting such stipulations and Green River basin
10  projects are eligible for construction under this article;
11  and

12 

13                   (D)  Funds appropriated may only be used to
14  finance the construction costs for components that secure
15  benefits that accrue to the state or to public entities
16  formed pursuant to Wyoming law.

17 

18         Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2001.

19 

20                         (END)

 

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