Turbidity
Short Term Sediment Disturbance. Wyoming’s Water Quality Rules (WWQR), Chapter 2, includes a provision for allowing short term sediment disturbances in surface waters without a discharge permit, for certain operations.
Those operations include normal construction, maintenance and repair work in and along Surface Waters of the State. Any type of equipment or heavy emplacement work activity within these waters is likely to result in temporary exceedances of narrative turbidity criteria found in WWQR Chapter 1. In accordance with WWQR Chapter 2, Section 2(b)(viii), the WQD Administrator may authorize temporary increases in turbidity above the criteria in WWQR Chapter 1, without a permit, upon review of plans for the activity in and along the waterway. In circumstances where a project has the potential to exceed the turbidity criteria, such a waiver is recommended. The operator must (1) submit a work plan and (2) receive approval from the WQD Administrator before work begins. This process generally takes about 15 – 30 days. Please contact Kathy Shreve (307-777-7093) for more information.
| NAME/EMAIL ADDRESS | PROGRAM | PHONE |
| David Waterstreet, Program Manager | Watershed Program | 307-777-6709 |
| Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Certification and Turbidity Waivers | ||
| James Tarzon (Cheyenne) | CWA Section 401 Certification, Turbidity Waivers | 307-777-6701 |
| Data Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) | ||
| Jennifer Pollard (Cheyenne) | Data QA/QC | 307-777-6372 |
| Surface Water Monitoring Program | ||
| Jeremy Zumberge, Program Supervisor (Sheridan) | Surface Water Monitoring Program | 307-675-5638 |
| Tavis Eddy (Lander) | Surface Water Monitoring Program | 307-335-6957 |
| Grant Wichman (Cheyenne) | Surface Water Monitoring Program | 307-777-6353 |
| Jason Martineau (Sheridan) | Surface Water Monitoring Program | 307-675-5632 |
| James Tarzon (Cheyenne) | Surface Water Monitoring Program | 307-777-6701 |
| Daniel Bryant (Sheridan) | Surface Water Monitoring Program | 307-675-5637 |
| Michael Wachtendonk (Lander) | Surface Water Monitoring Program | 307-335-6751 |
| Surface Water Quality Standards | ||
| Eric Hargett, Program Supervisor (Cheyenne) | Surface Water Quality Standards | 307-777-7079 |
| Rachel Eyres (Cheyenne) | Surface Water Quality -Standards, Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms | 307-777-2073 |
| Jackson Akin (Cheyenne) | Surface Water Quality Standards, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) | 307-777-7050 |
| Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)/Assessment/ Nonpoint Source Pollution/Program | ||
| Ron Steg, Program Supervisor (Lander) | Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) | 307-335-6980 |
| Joanna Harter (Lander) | Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) | 307-335-6965 |
| Race Stryker (Cheyenne) | Nonpoint Source Program Coordinator | 307-777-6755 |
| Water Quality Lab | ||
| Steve Vien, Lab Supervisor (Cheyenne) | Water Quality Lab | 307-777-7654 |
| Rex Bagley (Cheyenne) | Water Quality Lab | 307-777-7151 |
| Amaryllis Briggs (Cheyenne) | Water Quality Lab | 307-777-6783 |
| Alexis Lester(Cheyenne) | Water Quality Lab | 307-777-3770 |
This page contains downloadable application forms pertaining to Turbidity – Wetland.
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This page contains a variety of Guidance documents that explain procedures for Turbidity and Wetland Banking.
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Temporary Turbidity Waiver. Wyoming’s Water Quality Rules and Regulations, Chapter 1, Wyoming Surface Water Quality Standards, include turbidity criteria for waters designated as fisheries and/or drinking water supplies. Any type of construction activity within these streams is likely to result in exceedances of these criteria. In accordance with Section 23(c)(ii) of Chapter 1, the administrator of the WQD may authorize temporary increases in turbidity above the numeric criteria in Section 23(a) in response to an individual application for a specific activity. In circumstances where a project has the potential to exceed the turbidity criteria, a waiver is recommended. An application must be submitted and a waiver approved by the administrator before work begins. This process generally takes about 30 days. Please contact Eric Hargett (307-777-6701) for more information.
Turbidity is an important test for water quality that falls under the Watershed Protection Program’s jurisdiction. See above for Applications for the Turbidity Waiver Application; and Guidance for instructions on how to fill out the application.
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In 1991, the Wyoming Legislature passed the Wyoming Wetlands Act. The Act was further amended and refined in 1994. The purpose of the statute is to establish a statewide wetland mitigation bank to improve the administration of wetland protection, permitting and restoration programs in the state.
This includes the operation of the statewide wetland bank and the procedures for establishing accounts and depositing and withdrawing wetland credits.
State Wetland Bank
The state wetland bank provides essentially the same services as any other bank. The currency of the bank, however, is "wetland credits" rather than money. Any person who has earned a credit can deposit it in the bank until it is needed to pay off a wetland debt (mitigation).
One notable exception is that loans from the bank are not possible. Withdrawals are available only to credit holders and are limited to the actual amount and type of credit recorded.
Criteria
The options made possible by the wetland bank are available to both public and private entities. Any individual landowner, organization or public agency can earn credits for wetland creation, restoration or enhancement.
Once the credits are recorded in the bank, they can be withdrawn by the owner or transferred to another party to meet mitigation requirements. The State of Wyoming, through DEQ, will maintain all bank records and produce periodic reports concerning wetland gains and losses and credit and debit transactions for each account.
Additional Resources
Please review our guidelines describing the operation of the statewide bank, the procedures for establishing accounts and depositing and withdrawing wetland credits. If you would like to submit an application, please follow the instructions attached with the form.
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