Bill Brewer with the Wyoming Water Development Office told the Select Water Committee that work on the replacement dam in the LaPrele Irrigation District is progressing rapidly. That’s partially due to the nature of the dam in question, which used to serve over 100 irrigators.
“One thing I would compliment is the state engineer’s office has been great on this project,” said Brewer. “Typically for dams, we 100% design that dam, get it completely finished and then the [State Engineer’s Office] looks at it. They have been willing, in this case, to look at things progressively.”
The State Engineer’s Office discovered structural issues in October of 2024, and ordered the dam to be breached earlier this year to avoid a catastrophic failure. This led to a stressful scramble of brainstorming how to support the local community that depends on the reservoir for their livelihoods. Lawmakers discussed potential alternatives during this year’s legislative session, but ultimately focused on constructing a new dam.
Weather permitting, December 2025 will see access roads and laydown areas begin to pop up around the construction site. Project managers will also order specialized equipment around this time, like valve piping.
March 2026 will mark the start of excavation work, alongside the creation of a foundation for the dam.
By 2027, construction of “the main portion of the dam” will have started.
Come 2028, engineers plan to perform a “partial refill” of the reservoir.
If it all goes according to plan, a fully functional dam will begin operation in 2029.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
