Steenbergen: County Needs Current Water Information

Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dale Steenbergen says before Laramie County can develop a plan to cut water consumption, it needs to get up-to-date, accurate information to work with.

The county has until April to devise plan to cut the depletion of underground aquifers, or face the possibility having a conservation plan imposed by the state Engineer's Office.

Steenbergen, who is part of a committee formed to devise a plan, says the first step is to get the facts necessary to make informed decisions. He says one challenge is finding current maps of aquifers in the area, noting older maps of the underground water supplies may no longer be accurate.

He says current information is also needed on such topics as urban water usage, agricultural water consumption and the potential impact of new homes on aquifers.

Steenbergen says the committee must first "educate ourselves" and then come up with ways to use water wisely to avoid state-mandated water consumption cuts.