Prairie Center Control Area

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History Timeline

June 14, 1977 – the State Engineer received a request from approximately fifteen irrigators and ranchers in the Prairie Center Community of Northern Goshen County, to establish a moratorium on the issuance of any future irrigation well applications until such time that a safe and economical use of the water resource in the area could be established and a groundwater Control Area. 

August 17, 1977 – at a regular meeting of the BOC, the SE requested the area around Prairie Center be designated as a Control Area.

November 29, 1977 – the BOC referred the matter to a public hearing in Torrington, Wyoming. 

December 2, 1977 – based on evidence presented at the public hearing and the regular meeting of the board, the BOC voted unanimously to designate a groundwater management district called the Prairie Center Control Area based on available geologic and hydrologic information. The Control Area encompassed portions of Northern Goshen County and Southern Niobrara County. The northern boundary of the Control Area was based on a groundwater divide. The Control Area was not further divided into districts. The control area was established based on the request from area groundwater appropriators, a declining water table, predictions of even greater lowering of the water table (determined through computer modeling), and problems of interference between wells.

January 17, 1978 – a request was received by the BOC signed by individuals owning lands included within the Prairie Center Control Area, but residing in Niobrara County. These persons felt that, for various reasons, including hydrologic and sociopolitical characteristics of the area involved, the northern boundary of the Prairie Center Control Area should be reconsidered and the lands in Niobrara County deleted. 

January 31, 1978 – a special meeting of the BOC was held in Lusk, Wyoming with area residents, to discuss the requested revision of the boundaries of the recently established Prairie Center Control Area. The residents again requested that the northern boundary line of the Prairie Center Control Area be relocated to the Goshen County Line – deleting lands in Niobrara County.

May 1, 1978 – at a regular meeting of the BOC, the request for a redescription of the boundaries was again considered. A motion was made and carried that the BOC change the boundaries of the Control Area to eliminate those lands lying within Niobrara County, but that the change not become effective until the new election for Prairie Center Control Area Advisory Board members.

February 5, 1979 – at a special meeting of the BOC, the matter was again discussed and the BOC issued an Order to eliminate lands in Niobrara County from the Prairie Center Control Area. 

Advisory Board Meeting Minutes