Wyoming Roundup: Drought Threatens Palisades Power, Hand Count Ballot Audit Preps, Rock Springs Councilor Disciplined
Drought Puts Palisades Dam Power Generation at Risk
A worsening drought across the Upper Snake River Basin is threatening water supplies and power generation at Palisades Dam in Wyoming, with irrigation managers working to minimize damage as the summer season progresses.
The irrigation season has opened under difficult conditions, and officials warn that if reservoir storage falls to critically low levels, Palisades Dam could cease generating electricity entirely. Water managers are also concerned about their ability to maintain downstream flows needed for salmon migration.
The water shortage is not limited to western Wyoming. In the state’s eastern counties, including Sheridan County, agricultural producers are confronting what some officials describe as the worst irrigation season in decades. Severe to extreme drought conditions have been recorded across much of the eastern half of the state.
Record-low snowpack in the Bighorn Mountains, combined with persistently cold temperatures, left soils dry and suppressed streamflow runoff. Officials say the Park and Cross Creek reservoirs in the Bighorns are unlikely to reach full capacity this season. Complicating matters further, Montana has invoked a 1950 interstate water compact to reduce the volume of water available to Wyoming landowners, diverting flows to fill Montana’s Tongue River Reservoir.
Laramie County Clerk Prepares for Mandated Ballot Hand Count
Wyoming county clerks are making logistical preparations after state lawmakers passed legislation during the recent budget session requiring a manual audit of approximately 5% of all ballots cast in each county during this year’s primary elections.
Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee has been publicly discussing her office’s planning process for the hand-count requirement. The audit mandate applies statewide, placing new administrative demands on county election offices ahead of the primary.
Wyoming’s move toward partial hand-count audits reflects a broader national trend of state legislatures increasing manual verification requirements for election results. Wyoming’s election dynamics have drawn significant attention in recent years, particularly around primary participation and voter eligibility rules. The new audit provision adds another layer of post-election review to county-level processes.
Rock Springs City Council Disciplines Councilman After Ethics Hearing
The Rock Springs City Council voted last week to impose disciplinary measures on Councilman Rick Milonas following a formal evidentiary hearing into allegations that he violated the city’s ethics code.
The proceedings centered on claims that Milonas made targeted, derogatory statements directed at Rock Springs Urban Renewal Manager Chad Banks. Following the hearing, the full council voted unanimously to issue Milonas a written warning. A separate vote, which passed 6-1, mandated that Milonas complete formal training as part of the disciplinary action.
Other Wyoming News in Brief
Campbell County students earn college degrees early: A record 40 students from Campbell County participated in Gillette College’s graduation ceremony, completing the milestone before their high school diplomas were awarded. Each student accumulated at least 60 college credits through dual and concurrent enrollment coursework spread across six semesters.
Grizzly bear shot in self-defense near Ashton, Idaho: A hunter killed a charging grizzly bear in self-defense on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near Ashton, Idaho. The man and his young son were pursuing black bears near Cave Falls Road when the grizzly charged. The hunter fired at close range — approximately five yards — fatally stopping the animal. No injuries were reported. The incident is relevant to Wyoming-area residents given the proximity to the Wyoming border and ongoing discussions about public land access and wildlife management in the region.