Conservation District has ‘pile’ of requests for small water projects in 2021

Supervisors of the Sheridan County Conservation District are looking at “quite a pile” of requests for small water project funding next year, according to Andrew Cassiday.

Cassiday, who is district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Services Wyoming, presented a report on the requests for the supervisors’ review at the Conservation District meeting this week.

Conservation District Manager Carrie Rogaczewski said the report at this time is for information only, with no action needed by the supervisors.

In an interview later with Sheridan Media, Rogaczewski said the small water program is a state program administered through the Wyoming Water Development Commission. She said the state pays 50 percent of the cost of a project, up to a maximum of $35,000, for projects that meet the state’s criteria.

Cassiday said the projects that have requested small water program funds so far are spread across Sheridan County. Deadline for submission of projects for the state funds is Jan. 1, and Rogaczewski told supervisors that the water development board generally considers projects at a meeting in March.

In other action this week, Conservation District supervisors approved payments for five projects, including the Tongue River and Big Goose Creek stabilization projects, a stockwater project on the Powder River, an irrigation project on Maverick Lane and a septic project on the Tongue River.