§ 41-11-302 — Wyoming Colorado River advisory committee; purpose; membership

Wyoming § 41-11-302

• Jurisdiction: Wyoming
• Title 41: Water
• Ch. 11: INTERSTATE STREAMS COMMISSION
• Art. 3: WYOMING COLORADO RIVER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

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(a) The Wyoming Colorado River advisory committee is
created within the state engineer's office. The state engineer's
office shall provide administrative services and staffing for
the committee.
(b) The purpose of the committee is to advise and inform
the governor, the state engineer and Wyoming's commissioner to
the Upper Colorado River Commission regarding the beneficial
use, development, protection and conservation of water from the
Green and Little Snake rivers and their tributaries relative to
Wyoming's rights and obligations under the 1922 Colorado River
Compact and the 1948 Upper Colorado River Basin Compact.
(c) The committee may, at the request of the governor,
develop a management plan to ensure that Wyoming can protect and
develop water within Wyoming's portion of the Colorado River
Basin to ensure that Wyoming can operate within the state's
apportionment under the Colorado River compact and the Upper
Colorado River Basin compact.
(d) The committee shall meet not less than two (2) times
each year and shall meet additionally as necessary upon the
request of the state engineer, Wyoming's commissioner to the
Upper Colorado River Commission or the majority of the members
of the committee.
(e) The committee shall consist of nine (9) members
appointed by the governor, one (1) member appointed by the
president of the senate and one (1) member appointed by the
speaker of the house as follows:
(i) One (1) member representing agricultural
irrigation interests that divert and use water from the Green
River or its tributaries upstream from the Fontenelle Reservoir;
(ii) One (1) member representing agricultural
irrigation interests that divert and use water from the Green
River or its tributaries downstream from the Fontenelle
Reservoir;
(iii) One (1) member representing agricultural
interests that divert and use water from the Little Snake River
or its tributaries;
(iv) One (1) member representing municipal water
users that divert and use water from the Green River or its
tributaries;
(v) One (1) member representing municipal water users
that divert and use water from the Little Snake River or its
tributaries;
(vi) Two (2) members representing industrial water
users that divert and use water in Wyoming's portion of the
Colorado River basin;
(vii) One (1) member representing recreational, fish,
wildlife and environmental interests in Wyoming's portion of the
Colorado River basin;
(viii) One (1) member representing conservation
districts in Wyoming's portion of the Colorado River basin;
(ix) Two (2) legislators, one (1) from each house,
appointed by the speaker of the house and president of the
senate respectively.
(f) Committee members shall be appointed for a term of
four (4) years, except legislators who shall serve only for the
term of office during which they were appointed, and may be
reappointed for subsequent terms. The governor may appoint some
initial members for terms of less than four (4) years to provide
for staggered terms. Members appointed to the committee by the
governor may also be removed in accordance with W.S. 9-1-202.
(g) Nonlegislative members of the committee shall not
receive any fees, salary or other compensation but are entitled
to receive per diem and mileage on the same basis and at the
same rate as state employees and reimbursement for any other
actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of
committee duties. The legislative members shall receive salary
and reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses incurred in
the performance of their duties on the committee, as provided in
W.S. 28-5-101. Members who are government employees or public
officials shall be considered on official business of their
agency when performing duties as members of the committee.
(h) The committee shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman
from among its members.