Why It Matters
Water supply reliability is a growing infrastructure concern across the American West, and two small Wyoming towns are now facing the direct consequences of a warm, dry winter. Mountain View and Lyman, both located in Uinta County in southwest Wyoming, may be forced to implement municipal water restrictions later this year if storage levels at a key reservoir do not recover. For the roughly 2,200 residents who depend on the Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board for their water supply, the situation raises urgent questions about long-term water security.
What Happened
Water officials with the Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board have issued warnings to residents of Mountain View and Lyman about critically low storage levels at the Stateline Reservoir. The reservoir’s irrigation storage is currently sitting at just 20% of normal, a direct result of below-average snowpack accumulation during the winter season.
At the same point last year, the Stateline Reservoir stood at approximately 60% of normal storage capacity. Despite that comparatively stronger starting point in 2024, the reservoir was still drawn down to just 6% by August — a figure that underscores how quickly conditions can deteriorate as summer demand peaks. With this year beginning far below last year’s levels, water officials are preparing residents for the likelihood of mandatory restrictions before the summer ends.
The Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board serves approximately 2,200 residents across the two towns. Officials described the current outlook as “not looking great,” while noting that spring snowstorms could still provide some relief if precipitation patterns shift in the coming weeks.
By the Numbers
- 20% — Current irrigation storage level at Stateline Reservoir, expressed as a percentage of normal capacity
- 60% — Reservoir storage level at this same time last year, before summer drawdown
- 6% — Storage level the reservoir reached by August 2024, near the end of peak demand season
- 2,200 — Approximate number of residents served by the Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board across Mountain View and Lyman
- 2 — Number of municipalities currently preparing residents for potential water-use restrictions
Zoom Out
The situation in Wyoming’s Bridger Valley reflects a broader water stress pattern affecting communities across the Interior West. Low snowpack years have become more frequent across Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and neighboring states, straining reservoirs that were built to serve both agricultural and municipal needs. When senior water rights holders — typically agricultural operations with older, established claims — draw from the same reservoirs as municipalities, urban water users can find themselves competing in an already constrained system.
The Colorado River Basin, which includes portions of Wyoming, has experienced multi-year drought cycles that have forced water managers at every level — from federal bureaus to small-town utilities — to revisit assumptions about seasonal water availability. States across the region have increasingly moved toward tiered pricing structures, mandatory conservation ordinances, and long-term drought contingency plans as infrastructure built for 20th-century hydrology confronts a shifting climate baseline.
Wyoming towns in particular face added complexity because of the state’s water law framework, which strictly prioritizes water rights by seniority. Municipal systems without senior appropriations can be cut off before agricultural users in dry years, making spring snowpack accumulation a critical variable for community water planning.
What’s Next
Water officials in Mountain View and Lyman are holding out hope that additional spring snowfall could partially replenish the Stateline Reservoir before summer demand accelerates. However, with the reservoir already at a significant deficit compared to the prior year, officials are not waiting for favorable conditions before beginning to prepare residents.
The Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board is expected to continue monitoring storage levels and snowpack data in the coming weeks. If conditions do not improve materially, the board is likely to move forward with formal water restriction protocols for both towns ahead of the summer season. Residents are being encouraged to begin voluntary conservation measures now to reduce the severity of any mandatory cuts that may follow.
No specific timeline for a formal restriction order has been announced, but officials have signaled that decisions will be driven by reservoir storage trends as spring progresses.