Water Quality
Our water quality program works to safeguard Wyoming’s clean rivers and streams, lakes, and underground aquifers. We believe a balanced approach to energy development and production must include basic protections for Wyoming’s waterways and drinking water.
We work to influence best management practices and state and federal regulations for water discharged during oil, natural gas, and coalbed methane drilling. We also endeavor to improve regulations and oversight for hydraulic fracturing, carbon sequestration, and new mining proposals for uranium. Groundwater contamination is a concern in all three matters.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has becoming pervasive in Wyoming. These days virtually all new oil and gas wells are fracked. Making hydraulic fracturing safer and less likely to harm people and the environment should be the goal of industry, regulators, and environmentalists alike.
We also seek to keep plenty of high-quality water flowing in our streams and rivers, to benefit fish and other aquatic life and recreation.