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[{"type":"text","text":"Innovative ways to bring the costs of medical care down...."}]

Today in health care 2 2 25

Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>Today In Health Care: Sunday, February 2, 2025 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Innovative ways to bring the costs of medical care down....

Today In Health Care: Sunday, February 2, 2025

 Innovative ways to bring the costs of medical care down....

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's general assignment reporter, Clair McFarland.

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

As of Monday, 35 Wyoming political candidates have sworn to love their enemies.

 after the public killing of conservative icon Charlie Kirk, and has since been working to restore the servant spirit and civility to the public arena in Wyoming.

The Tuesday after the May 14-29 filing period ended for political candidates, the group sent each candidate a pledge, group incorporator Matt Micheli told Cowboy State Daily.

“I will love my enemies, not just my friends. I will stand faithfully upon my convictions without giving into cruelty,” the pledge says. “I will call out wrongdoing without canceling people. 

"I will refuse to let the letters on someone’s hat or the hashtags in their bio mean more to me than the Gospel. I will not be swept up in the outrage cycle, but will instead step out of the chaos and boldly examine my own actions.”

The signers also commit to “bring the peace of Christ back into the public square — to show a divided world what it truly looks like to follow Him, not as a culture warrior but as a Kingdom person.”

The pledge invokes the group’s founding verse, Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Two of the three GOP candidates for governor had signed the document as of Tuesday: Sen. Eric Barlow and Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.

So too had three of the 10 Republican U.S. House candidates: Senate President Bo Biteman, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, and Casper-based veteran Kevin Christensen. U.S. Senate candidate Jimmy Skovgard is also among the signers.

In the governor’s race, Barlow told Cowboy State Daily he doesn’t normally answer candidate questionnaires, but this one was “quite simple” and in line with the promise he made last year to run a clean campaign anyway.

“And whether we agree on issues or don’t, we can still be respectful and honoring of them as, you know, fellow human beings,” Barlow said.

[{"type":"text","text":"Degenfelder did not return a Tuesday voicemail by publication."}]

Another GOP gubernatorial candidate, retired Marine Col. Brent Bien, did not comment in response to an email and voicemail

[{"type":"text","text":"Wyoming Can Use It"}]

Cowboy State Daily this pledge could be effective in Wyoming, and that he wants to help the group’s cause.

Another former lawmaker, Fred Harrison, was less optimistic about the pledge’s ability to curb vitriol in the state’s political arena. But he said each person should take the effort seriously.

[{"type":"text","text":"As for Micheli, he said the pledge is meant to be unique."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Wyoming candidates face a number of pledges and have for years."}]

In 2020, the group Wyoming Gun Owners launched a pledge-style survey to candidates and derided the political hopefuls who didn’t sign it with phrases 

, “(it’s) a very dangerous situation for gun owners,” or “we all know what that means.”

More recently, the Wyoming Republican Party and its county subgroups launched a candidate pledge based on the state party platform. 

Some candidates have pointed to inconsistencies in the platform wording and called the 

 Others have called it a much-needed revival call for Wyoming’s broad-based GOP.

Micheli said the Peacemakers pledge isn’t meant to be used as ammunition, because its wording discourages that.

“The goal of this is kind of the opposite of all these other pledges you see out there,” he said. “The other pledges are kind of putting people into tribes and trying to figure out what tribe you’re in.”

Micheli said this pledge, however, tells each candidate to “look inward” and improve instead of “hammering anybody else over the head with it.”  

[{"type":"text","text":"Might Just Work"}]

Peterson, who served in the Wyoming Senate from 2005 to 2018, lauded the effort.

[{"type":"text","text":"“I could certainly get behind a movement like that,” said Peterson."}]

Peterson had voiced similar goals one week prior on a live video interview on Cowboy State Daily's Morning Show With Jake, 

Though the effort is “the light at the end of the tunnel” in what Peterson cast as a darkening, exhausting political arena, people will have to refocus on one another as fellow human beings to make it work, he said.

“If you love the person that’s opposed to either your way of life or philosophy or way of thinking,” he said, “and in your mind, your core belief is this is a brother, a sister, a person — and I don’t know what life experiences they’ve had, what brought them to the beliefs they have — it at least gives (one) the courtesy to be patient and listen.”

It takes effort to see the person through the issues. It’s also difficult to ratchet people down from the fiery realms to which public discourse has risen, said Peterson.

“It’s hard work to listen to somebody yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs, random thoughts and things to be argumentative … and say, ‘Oh, I can see you’re very passionate about your belief but you’re not making any sense,’” he said.

Rules of decorum in public arenas, the humility to apologize to one another where necessary, and applying mental rigor toward the actual issues are the way back to civility, Peterson added.

If people avoid dehumanizing and screaming at each other, their conversation will also get smarter, he said.

[{"type":"text","text":"Starting With You"}]

Harrison wasn’t as optimistic as Peterson, but called the pledge’s mission a worthy undertaking for each individual regardless of what society does.

“I’m not seeing a willingness on both sides of the aisle to discuss (differences),” he said. “I appreciate what they’re doing. I think it’s a wonderful idea.”

But, he added, “I’m not sure it’s always going to work, but that doesn’t mean anything. What did Mother Theresa say? We’re called to be faithful, not successful.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Harrison served in the Legislature from 1983-1992."}]

He was a Democrat then. But, ardently pro-life and socially conservative, he parted ways with the party starting in about 1992 and is now Republican. He’s also grown more fiscally conservative, Harrison said.

Harrison now writes a regular column for Cowboy State Daily in which he often scrutinizes the current state of the judiciary and jurisprudence.

“People think my articles are pretty sharp,” he said with a chuckle. Yet on May 9, he penned a 

 against resorting to violence or violent sentiments against judges, saying that nullifies good arguments on the issues.

If people wish to apply the peacemaker group’s pledge, it will take honest discussion, he said. People also have to start taking the high road and stop de-humanizing each other, he added.

[{"type":"text","text":"The Signers, So Far"}]

Micheli told Cowboy State Daily the group didn’t give candidates a deadline to sign the pledge. So this list isn’t final. As of Monday, the 35 signers spanned the governor’s, congressional, state legislative, and county commission races. They are:

State Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate

Mix Collage 23 Jun 2026 06 04 PM 252

<title>35 Candidates, Including Two Wyo Gov Hopefuls, Sign Love Your Enemies Pledge | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The Wyoming group that launched a civility movement after the killing of Charlie Kirk has gotten 35 candidates to sign a peacemaker pledge to love their enemies. That includes gubernatorial candidates Eric Barlow and Megan Degenfelder.

35 Candidates, Including Two Wyo Gov Hopefuls, Sign Love Your Enemies Pledge

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's business and tourism reporter, Renée Jean

Renée Jean

Energy

Microsoft officials said the company is willing to talk about 

a $50 million community benefits agreement,

 but after Monday night’s Cheyenne City Council vote it won’t be necessary.

The council voted to advance the annexation of a 3,500-acre tract of land into the city, but rejected the idea of a community benefits agreement on an 8-to-3 vote. Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins was absent from the meeting.

The tract, roughly one-fifth the size of Cheyenne and adjacent to Microsoft’s existing data centers, is envisioned as a long-term expansion site where it would build its facilities out over the next 10 to 20 years. Supporters have framed the move as key to jobs and the tax base, while opponents have said the city is giving up leverage and reshaping the community without locking in enough concrete benefits or fully understanding water, traffic and neighborhood impacts.

Councilman Larry Wolfe brought the amendment that sought the $50 million agreement, saying it was necessary because of the extraordinary scale of the annexation. 

Wolfe’s proposal outlined collecting $10 million annually for five years starting July 2027 to fund permanent improvements to Cheyenne. The agreement should also spell out an expectation, Wolfe has suggested, that Microsoft will use state-of-the-art technology to minimize water use, eliminate emissions, and set contractual guardrails on as many as 40 different items ranging from traffic and noise to wildlife and affordable housing. 

Collins called the proposal for a $50 million community benefits agreement “extortion” the first time Wolfe mentioned it.

Wolfe asked Microsoft executives whether there would be any harm in a four-month delay so the city could negotiate terms of the annexation. 

Microsoft’s land-development manager Rachel Irwing indicated the company is “willing to work with the city in whatever way is beneficial for both the city and this project” and is “open to discussions,” but added the company does want to move forward on the project as quickly as possible.

Microsoft spokesman Jonathan Noble, meanwhile, said that while the company’s timeline for the development is 10 to 20 years, they don’t plan to wait that long to start.

“That’s the reason why we’re eager to really lay the groundwork, establish the rules, work with city staff, make sure that we are all clear on the investment that is going to require,” Noble said. “That’s investment by Microsoft in conjunction with the city, various other folks, to build out the sewer, water, power, etcetera, and to make sure we are shouldering that cost completely. That takes time to design. It also takes time to build. Our hope is to start building well before that 10-year mark.”

The company could, Noble added, move forward under Laramie County, but felt it was better for the project and the community to proceed under the city. 

Councilman Pete Laybourn, meanwhile, wanted to know if the company had considered an annexation agreement similar to the one made for Sweetgrass, the only other comparably-sized property the city has annexed. 

Noble said the company is not looking for any exemptions from the city’s normal development processes, saying its existing structure has worked for the city and will work for Microsoft.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Growth Isn’t The Issue"}]

Public comments on Monday underscored a divide over how — not whether — Cheyenne should grow. 

While some residents completely oppose growth, most said they want clearer evidence the city is grasping the pace of development and guiding it to an appropriate landing.

“I’m not here to oppose growth,” long-time real estate broker Wendy Volk told the council. “Wyoming has always embraced innovation, entrepreneurship and opportunity. Economic development matters, and our state has a proud history of powering the nation through agriculture, mining and energy production.”

But even she finds the speed and scale of incoming industrial projects disconcerting.

“I believe we must ask some … broader questions about how we grow and who bears the cost,” she said. “We experience (these projects) cumulatively. We experience increased demands on shared roads. We see growing demands on water systems, emergency services, housing and public infrastructure.”

A key question, Volk added, is the character of southeastern Wyoming left for future generations. 

“Growth itself is not the issue,” she said. “The issue is whether we have a long-term plan and whether growth is paying for its share.”

Volk said it’s fair for the community to ask companies that will benefit from the growth to be stronger partners in building out infrastructure and mitigating impacts.

“Once the character of a community changes, it is difficult to restore,” she said. “I’m not asking for us to stop progress. I’m asking for us to guide it wisely, with transparency, thoughtful planning, and a commitment to ensuring that growth strengthens our communities rather than placing new burdens upon them.”

For Harmony Meadows resident Heather Madrid the lack of a defined plan ahead of approving the annexation is a red flag that says the city isn’t doing it’s job to mind the store.

“The lack of a plan is not a legitimate reason to forgo any kind of annexation agreement,” she said. “In fact it’s quite the opposite. It’s a reason to wait until Microsoft has some idea what they’re doing here.”

Madrid also questioned how the city can claim the annexation will benefit residents when there’s been no examination of how much water will be used, how many backup generators will be necessary, and whether city services such as police, fire, and EMS will be reasonably available.

Without those details, the property is “not ready to be annexed, plain and simple,” Madrid said, adding that “corporate philanthropy is not a substitute for proper planning.”

Those speaking for the data center’s annexation and against any postponement mostly came from building trade groups and from Microsoft itself.

Rob Turse, business agent for Local 192, was among them.

“The sooner we can get our local workers out to work on these projects, the sooner the middle class gets back to normal here in Cheyenne,” he said. “The middle class has been ... it's been hurting for a long time here in Cheyenne. It's been in decline. It really has.”

Multiple individuals talked about leaving volatile oil and gas or traveling construction jobs for steady data center work. That’s allowed them to be home with their families and make a high enough wage to support them.

Kevin Banish talked about growing up in Cheyenne believing there would never be a career for him in Wyoming. 

“Today, there’s hundreds of people building technology centers right here in Cheyenne,” he said. “Over the last 13 years, I’ve watched Microsoft’s presence in our community grow from a few facilities into a major contributor to our local economy.”

The beneficiaries are not buildings, he added, but the people who work there and are now able to make a living closer to home.

“Today, students in Wyoming can look at careers in technology, engineering, construction, operations, networking, and skilled trades, and know that those careers exist right here at home,” he said. “They no longer have to assume that opportunity only exists somewhere else.”

Data centers have made that possible, and Cheyenne has become a recognized leader in the industry, Banish said. 

“Approving this land addition will continue that momentum and position our community for future investment, future jobs, and future opportunities,” he said. “As a lifetime Wyoming resident and as someone who has worked in this industry since 2013, I believe this is a positive step in Cheyenne’s future.”

Councilwoman Kathy Emmons was among those who were displeased with Wolfe's motion, which was supported by Laybourn and Councilman Mark Moody, who earlier proposed a moratorium on data center development.

Moody said Cheyenne needs to more carefully consider the impact of so many data centers built all at once in and around the city.

Emmons said the community benefits agreement was just a new version of the proposed moratorium, which had already been voted down by the council after hours of testimony.

“We went through the whole process, we went through all the readings, we took all of the comment, we heard every single bit of it, we listened, we listened to both sides,” Emmons said. "This council took a vote to deny the moratorium and to move forward. So here we are again, doing the very same thing, which I find incredibly disingenuous.”

A four-month postponement won’t be productive, Emmons added.

“We’ll be in the very same situation, and we’ll just keep doing it over and over,” she said. “That’s not OK for the community who we’re supposed to be entrusted to represent. And it’s not OK for the people who have put in so much hard work on this issue, and we keep dangling this carrot in front of them. So I would encourage my fellow council members to vote no on this amendment.”

Councilman Jeff White said a community benefits agreement such as Wolfe proposed would set a bad precedent. 

“Does Microsoft have deep pockets?” he said. “You bet, but just because they’re a a multi-billion-dollar corporation doesn’t mean we should be treating them differently. The owner of the property wants to engage in a lawful business transaction with a willing buyer.”

Councilman Ken Esquibel suggested that those wanting to stop data centers have picked the wrong venue for their fight.

“If you really want to stop data centers, the building you need to go to is the one with a golden dome, about seven and a half blocks that way,” he said. “The reason data centers come here is because of tax laws, the tax structure in Wyoming, that get set at the state legislative level."

“They're not coming here because the Cheyenne City Council has given them their golden ticket,” he added. “We actually have the strictest regulations for data centers of any city in the country. That's why they want to build in the city, as opposed to the county.”

Wolfe disagreed with the contention his motion was anything like a moratorium. That was a much longer delay, with broader consideration about data centers.

His proposal targets a specific data center project, looking at impacts to the city and addressing them, similar to the annexation agreement used for the Sweetgrass development.

“This comes to us with every single issue you can imagine in an annexation proceeding,” Wolfe said. “When this first arose .. I said we should treat this differently. We should treat this with the enormity and respect that it deserves. We didn’t do that. We treated it with the same respect we treat a 2.7-acre annexation.” 

Wolfe acknowledged many people are on data-center information overload, given how many committees the matter has traveled through, but this is the first time it’s arrived at a full council meeting. 

“There are a host of issues that we should address with this,” he said. “And I’ve been trying to do that. But the biggest issue is that what is proposed here is trying to balance up the benefits with the detriments, the burdens that come from all of these projects.”

Microsoft’s contention that the city will be its best partner for future projects is a telling detail, Wolfe suggested, that points to the city taking more time to think about what the annexation entails and the measures to be agreed upon before the council accepts it.

“That’s all I’ve suggested is that we spend some time talking about what a partnership looks like,” he said. “And guess what, we have a perfect model from 2018, and I have it right here.”

Wolfe was referring to the Sweetgrass annexation, which was Cheyenne’s largest single land annexation. That agreement talks about a range of issues from zoning and traffic to dedication of land for parks and planned development.

“It’s in all of our interests, members of the council, to postpone this,” he said. “It’s in all of our interests to lock up the mayor and the chief of staff and say go negotiate a strong agreement that deals with all of these issues.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Public Vs. Closed Doors"}]

Emmons said agreements like Wolfe is seeking can still take place without any postponement.

“We’re going to have those studies,” she said. “They have to provide the studies through EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), through the county, through the city. They have to do those things in order to go forward anyway. I feel strongly we can proceed with this and still make sure that everything is done appropriately.

That’s a process, Wolfe countered, that will happen behind “closed doors.”

“So while yes, you’re right that some of that work may be done, the reason you put it into an annexation agreement — and the reason they did it in the Sweetgrass annexation is that they’re locked into it by contract — and that’s what we need to do now,” he said. “If we miss this opportunity to get an annexation agreement now, and define these issues and define their obligations ... because remember, they want these things not in place now but 10 years from now, we better be awfully careful and awfully thoughtful. Because in 10 years from now who knows what the environmental constraints are going to be?”

Laybourn argued that Cheyenne does have great needs that should be considered in light of the annexation, and suggested it’s not extortion to expect some agreements up front that will cover economic impacts, especially given that the facilities do not go through the Industrial Siting Commission.

“We believe it's a legitimate attempt, a good-faith attempt to look at something that's never happened here before, and probably will never happen again,” Laybourn said. “And to try to make sure that right from the initiation of that annexation we have these conditions, and these conditions are serious, so I'm sorry that some individuals seem to believe that those of us that support this are obstructionists or unrealistic or trying to, I can't imagine what our motivation could be. My motivation is to look at these facts.”

Monday’s vote was the second of three required readings by the city council on the annexation. The council will still have to take a third and final vote. 

If approved on final reading, the annexation will clear the way for Microsoft to begin detailed planning for a multi-decade data center buildout on Cheyenne’s southern edge.

Microsoft city council 6 23 26

<title>Cheyenne OK’s Huge Microsoft Annexation, Rejects $50M Community Benefits Deal | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Cheyenne’s City Council moved a massive 3,500-acre data center annexation closer to approval Monday night, rejecting an effort to secure a $50 million community benefits agreement that Mayor Patrick Collins recently described as "extortion."

Cheyenne OK’s Huge Microsoft Annexation, Rejects $50M Community Benefits Deal

Wyoming lawmakers started work Tuesday to lift the upper limit on county prosecutors' salaries from $153,700 to $180,000, and give judges substantial raises. 

If it becomes law, the bill now being drafted would raise Wyoming Supreme Court Justices’ salaries from $187,250 to nearly $225,000, district court judge salaries from $171,200 to almost $202,000, and circuit court judges from $153,700 to $180,000.

 Those figures would change over time based on economic metrics, as they’d be tethered to federal judge salaries, which have built-in escalators.

Rep. Ken Pendergraft, R-Sheridan, asked for the draft at the Joint Appropriations Committee’s meeting Tuesday in Lander.

“This is mandated. This is what government does,” said Pendergraft. “We need to do it properly.”

The conversation focused primarily on prosecutors, many of whom have lamented their elected-official salary cap for years.

Loretta Howieson Kallas, who is Uinta County Attorney and also president of the Wyoming County and Prosecuting Attorneys Association, delivered a presentation about pay disparities in different prosecutors’ offices and between the government and private sector.

The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office tends to start new hires in the $80,000-$90,000 range, and the private sector – depending on region – at $130,000-$170,000, she said.

[{"type":"text","text":"Many county attorney offices start around $50,000-$70,000, Kallas added."}]

“I love what I do, and I do it for a reason that has little to do, per se, with my salary,” Kallas said. “But it does get difficult when I know there are no attorneys in my county, and I could be making four times my salary.”

The Wyoming Legislature's administrative arm, the Management Council, has directed the Appropriations Committee to undertake this pay study. But Pendergraft had voiced a need for the changes during this year's budget-planning marathon in January. 

The Legislature had, through its two-year budget, sent an extra $1.5 million per year to the 21 county attorneys' offices - a move expected to send $22,000 a year extra from the state toward county attorneys' salaries and around $13,800 each year for assistant county attorneys' salaries. 

But not all counties are answering that gesture by increasing county attorneys' pay, said Kallas, adding that they're likely concerned they won't be able to sustain a new, higher wage over their four-year budget terms if the state's current budget boost doesn't remain over time.

Wyoming has 23 counties but two of those, Laramie and Natrona, have district attorneys instead of dual-purpose county and prosecuting attorneys as the top prosecutor. Kallas said that's because those two counties align geographically with the judicial districts that serve them. 

[{"type":"text","text":"The state sets district attorney wages. "}]

Weston County has the lowest-paid prosecuting attorney at $75,000 annual salary, said Kallas. She said the county allows that prosecutor to take on private work to supplement his income, though she questioned what kind of ethical difficulties he has to juggle as a result.

Weston County is the state’s third least-populous county at 6,808 – after Niobrara County (2,365) and Hot Springs County (4,661).

The Niobrara County Attorney makes $106,798 and the Hot Springs County Attorney makes $110,000 a year, Kallas said.

These three along with the Big Horn County Attorney and the Fremont County Attorney make the lowest salaries in Wyoming, she said. The Big Horn County Attorney’s salary is $103,960 and the Fremont County Attorney’s salary is $117,600.

Fremont County generally lands around the fifth most populous in Wyoming. But it has the “fourth-highest case load as far as violent felonies particularly,” said Kallas.

, which uses FBI data, ranked Fremont County’s largest city of 

 in the state by far, at a violent-crime rate of 74.5 per 10,000 people in 2024.

Evanston was second-highest with roughly half the violence, at 39 violent crimes per 10,000 people.

County commissioners set county attorneys’ salaries, though the state pays either $50,000 or 50% toward them, whichever is less.

The state also pays up to 50% of the assistant county attorneys’ salaries or $30,000, whichever is less – and the counties make up the rest.

While the policy rationale there may be that county attorneys do civil work for their counties but also represent the state when they prosecute crimes, Kallas said her office’s civil work is miniscule compared to its prosecutorial work.

She has a deputy who only prosecutes crimes, a deputy whose workload is only about 10% civil and most of her work is in prosecution as well, she said.

The bill draft the committee advanced unanimously on Tuesday would eliminate the “whichever is less” language so that the state would pay half of prosecutors’ wages. It would also give the Legislature oversight in approving the routine escalations of salaries the bill envisions.

[{"type":"text","text":"Don’t Yank Our Chain"}]

But that bill might look completely different by the time the committee is done with it, Pendergraft told Cowboy State Daily in a follow-up interview.

After the meeting there was “some discussion by some of us, that it might be better not to cross between the executive, judicial, and legislative, for a number of reasons,” he said.

The escalating salaries federal judges enjoy are tied to various economic factors. Wyoming may want to devise its own factors, Pendergraft added.

“We don’t want – basically – the feds yanking our chain,” he said. “Our formula would be built by the state; to our liking. This all remains to be hashed out. This is just our discussion.”

The Joint Appropriations Committee’s next meeting is set for Aug. 27 in Cheyenne.

Lawmakers 6 24 26

<title>Wyoming Lawmakers Call For Raises For Prosecutors And Judges | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Wyoming lawmakers started work Tuesday to lift the upper limit on county prosecutors' salaries from $153,700 to $180,000. The bill would raise Wyoming Supreme Court Justices’ salaries to nearly $225,000 and district court judge salaries to almost $202,000.

Wyoming Lawmakers Call For Raises For Prosecutors And Judges

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Agriculture

The situation with the Colorado River is dire, and likely will keep getting worse if the river continues to be managed according to arcane policies, officials representing the four Upper Basin states said Tuesday.

Water-management policy needs to shift away from legal wrangling and toward the realities of water availability, or hydrology, members of the Upper Colorado River Commission said during a meeting in Denver.

The commission didn’t make any policy decisions, and plans to meet again this summer.

At issue is whether the Upper Basin states – Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico – can keep meeting downriver demands according to water allocations drawn up under the 1922 Colorado River Compact.

The compact also includes the Lower Basin states – Arizona, Nevada and California – as well as Mexico and numerous Native American tribes.  

The headwaters of the Colorado River are in Colorado. Wyoming’s Green River is one of its main tributaries.

Wyoming and Utah share Flaming Gorge Reservoir. It’s facing a 

 in an effort to replenish desperately low Lake Powell, on the Utah-Arizona state line.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Worst Year On Record"}]

The conversation must shift from legal wrangling to managing the river according to what nature provides, commission members said.

“As I’ve been saying for years, this is a problem that needs to be settled by hydrology,” said state engineer Brandon Gebhart, Wyoming’s representative on the commission.

“This is one of the worst, if not the worst, hydrologic year on record,” he added.

Longstanding drought conditions across the West, coupled with the unusually dry 2025-2026 winter, have left ranchers, farmers and communities facing tough choices, commissioners said.

“It is dire; the pain is felt in every corner of every state in the Upper Basin, Colorado commissioner Beck Mitchell said.

In Utah, some small towns have already run out of water and are hauling it in, Utah commissioner Gene Shawcroft said.

There have been calls for a “statewide state of emergency” because of drought, he added.

Gebhart said all of Wyoming is also essentially in a state of drought.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Bad News For Ag"}]

At one point, commission executive director Chuck Cullom displayed slides showing aerial photos of agricultural areas in each Upper Basin state.

There was stark contract between widespread greenery in images from 2024, when water was relatively abundant, and those from 2026. This year's photos show far more brownish, dry land and shrunken reservoirs.

At a meeting in Denver on Tuesday, Wyoming's state engineer said 2026 is "one of the worst, if not the worst, hydrologic years on record" due to the dire water situation in the Colorado River's Upper Basin states. He said Green River Basin ranchers will be hit especially hard.

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