Holmes: Action On Water Was Needed

Laramie County Commissioner Keith "Buck" Holmes is crediting State Engineer Pat Tyrrel with taking steps to conserve water in Laramie County.

Tyrrel's office on Wednesday issued a temporary order implementing a variety of steps aimed at water conservation in the eastern two-thirds of the county. That area has been designated as a water "control area"  because of the depletion of underground aquifers.

The steps include everything from metering of large wells to regulations designed to protect the HIgh Plains aquifer in particular.

Holmes says aquifer depletion in the area has been a problem for many years, but says until recently officials "kicked the can down the road" rather than trying to deal with the problem.

He says the area around Pine Bluffs especially faces water issues, with the Carpenter area facing less-severe, but still serious,  issues as well.

A special committee formed by the county several months ago was unable to agree on a water conservation plan, but Holmes says officials had always known that would be difficult, so the order from the State Engineer's office wasn't a surprise