Engineer’s Office Issues Water Order

The Wyoming State Engineer's Office has issued a new temporary water order which includes metering of large wells in the Laramie County water control area.

That area includes roughly the eastern two-thirds of the county and is designed to counter depletion of underground aquifer water.

The order prohibits high-capacity wells from being drilled in some areas unless they are deeper than the High Plains Aquifer, which is the shallowest aquifer in the control area. It also calls for metering of large wells in the control area.

The plan was issued after a Laramie County Water Committee wasn't able to come up with a water conservation plan for the control area by April 1.

But county officials say they can continue to work on the water conservation issue.