Water Quality Monitoring Program

In a state as arid as Wyoming, water is literally the life blood of the area.  Testing the health of that life blood is part of a water monitoring program undertaken by the Washakie County Conservation District (WCCD). The water monitoring program began because of the 1996 listing of seven streams in Washakie County on the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality's (WDEQ) "needs monitored" list.  The listing of these streams was not justified due to lack of scientific data to prove they were impaired, but could not be removed from the list unless scientific data was collected to show they were not impaired.

WDEQ was scheduled to monitor local streams in 2000-2001, however, due to landowner request, WCCD employees conducted the monitoring.  "The landowners have been wonderful;  each took time out of their day to show the WCCD employees the best way to get to the stream sites," Tori Dietz, District Director said.

To allow Conservation Districts around the state to assist DEQ in gathering the water quality information needed, the state legislature allotted $367,000.00 for water monitoring training, lab analysis and equipment in 1998 and 2000, $675,000 in 2002 and 2004, and $675,000 again in 2006.  In addition, the WCCD received a grant from WDEQ's 319 funds to conduct water quality monitoring from 2005 through 2008.  This funding also includes an education component and is providing cost share to help local residents upgrade failing and/or inadequate septic systems and to address existing or potential water quality issues associated with small non-permitted livestock operations, i.e. less than 1000 head.

In order for WDEQ to accept the data collected from the Conservation Districts, the Districts followed WDEQ's protocol, which consisted of employees participating in several phases of classroom and field training by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and the University of Wyoming and WDEQ.  

The WCCD staff began water quality monitoring on six streams in Washakie County in May, 2005. The monitoring program is focused on streams that were included on the Wyoming DEQ’s 303(d) list, which includes the Bighorn River, Nowood River, Sage Creek, Slick Creek, Fifteen Mile Creek, and Nowater Creek. This year 2005 began a monitoring schedule to gather water quality information on each site for E. coli and chemical constituents in both May and September, and a Beneficial Use Reconnaissance Program was done on three of these sites, in September. In 2006, monitoring was accomplished in August, in 2007, monitoring was accomplished in July, and in 2008, final monitoring will be completed in June.  The funding for this project is from a 319 grant awarded to the WCCD by WDEQ. Prior to the water monitoring each year, the WCCD has updated our Sampling & Analysis Plan, where it has been approved by WDEQ. 
 

Cost Share Program

The District has received a Clean Water Act, Section 319 grant from the WDEQ.  This grant is to provide information to the landowners of Washakie County on non-point source pollution, including E. coli bacteria.  The grant also provides cost-share funding to address Animal Feeding Operations (AFO's) and individual Septic Systems that may require renovations to minimize the probability of surface water contamination.  The WCCD is offering this money as an incentive to the residents of Washakie County to address improper corral placement or watering methods and non-functioning septic systems on a voluntary basis.  Septic systems that were installed prior to 1973 are not exempt from provisions of the Clean Water Act, which was adopted that year.  All septic systems, regardless of when they were installed, must comply with current county or state standards and specifications.  Applicants will be anonymous to the ranking committee.  Both the AFO projects and the Septic projects will cost shared at 50% and the total project cost foe the septic projects cannot exceed $8,500.00 without individual justification and authorization by WDEQ.