Summer Tour
Get your feet wet with Wyoming Water at our annual summer tour! Each summer, we partner with organizations around the state to provide our members with unique, hands-on opportunities to learn about and tour water projects and sites in Wyoming. We are conducting the tour with WACD (Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts).
2025 Summer Tour Recap
The 2025 Wyoming Water Association Summer Tour took place June 19–20 in the Sheridan area, beginning with a visit to Tie Hack Dam followed by a social hour, dinner, and an engaging evening presentation on watershed modeling by Zach Byram of the Clear Creek Conservation District. The next day featured a full slate of educational stops, including a historical overview at Tunnel Hill with Mark Caudle, irrigation project insights from Dave Schroeder and Ryan Barker, a tour of the Story Fish Hatchery with Steve Deikena, lunch at Lake DeSmet with an update from Paul Mavrakis, and a final stop at the I-25 Fish Passage Project led by Zach Byram and Travis Cundy. A big thank you to our sponsor, JUB Engineering, and to all of our speakers and presenters for contributing to a successful event!
Tie Hack Dam
Tunnel Hill
Prairie Dog Ditch
Fish Passage
Tour participants visited Tie Hack Dam, where Terry Tucker from the City of Buffalo, along with Dave Schroeder and Ryan Barker from WYOSEO, provided an informative overview of the dam’s operations, history, and its critical role in regional water management and supply.
At Tunnel Hill in Story, Wyoming, participants learned about the area's rich history and early water development efforts through insights shared by a local historian from StoryWyoming.org. Dave Schroeder and Ryan Barker from WYOSEO added technical context, highlighting the site's significance in Wyoming’s irrigation infrastructure.
At the Prairie Dog Ditch, Andrew Patceg of Engineering Associates shared details about the recent improvement project, which he helped design and implement. He was joined by Dave Schroeder and Ryan Barker from WYOSEO, who provided additional insight into the project's impact on local irrigation efficiency and long-term water management.
At the I-25 Fish Passage Project site, Zach Byram of the Clear Creek Conservation District and Travis Cundy from Wyoming Game & Fish explained how the project improves aquatic connectivity and supports native fish populations. They discussed the design, construction, and ecological benefits of the passage, which allows fish to safely navigate beneath the interstate.
Wyoming Water Association and the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts
2024 Summer Tour
Last year we headed to the Upper Green River Basin and gathered in Pinedale, WY to tour local projects. The tour featured excellent speakers covering relevant topics, great conversation, and inside access to innovative water and conservation projects. Thank you to tour sponsors,
TriHydro and
Strike Consulting Group. Tour could not have been possible without the coordination from the
Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts, the cooperation of our tour hosts and speakers and the tour committee: Andy Strike, Derrick Thompson, Holly Kennedy, Jerry Dart, Justin Caudill, Leslie Steen, Phil Stump. Liberty Blain Sydney Baker and Triston Rice.
Boulder Rearing Facility
Joe Gillis updated us on the functions, challenges and setup of the Boulder Rearing Facility, home of Wyoming's broodstock for rainbow trout.
New Fork Restoration
Toured two different restoration projects on the New Fork River. Luke Schultz highlighted the differences and similarities in the projects, and different methods used in riverbank restoration.
Zeedyk Rock Structures
Sublette Conservation District staff introduced us to real-life Zeedyk rock stuctures and how how they are improving rangeland in Sublette County.
