Prairie Center Control Area

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An election was held on July 10, 2026 at the Goshen County 3A Prairie Center Fire Department, Torrington, WY, to fill three vacancies on the Prairie Center Groundwater Control Area Advisory Board.  The vacancies were created by the expired terms previously filled by Elden Baldwin, Jim Becker, and Kathie France. 

Following the closing of the election, on behalf of the Division Advisory Committee, the State Engineer’s Office verified collected ballots for voter eligibility pursuant to Wyoming Statute § 41-3-913, and confirmed the members-elect own land or groundwater rights, or are the officers, officials or members of the board of a corporation which owns land or groundwater rights within the Prairie Center Groundwater Control Area. 

A total of 55,146 votes were cast on July 10, 2026, and the results of the election are Kathie France (19,642 votes), Jay Middleswarth (13,445 votes), and Jason Taylor (9,110 votes) were elected to serve on the Advisory Board. All will serve as advisory board members for a four-year term. 

The runner-ups were: Logan Thompson (5,187 votes), Ryler Lerwick (2,989 votes), Dave Platt (2,713 votes), and Duke Webb (2,060 votes). 

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