Medicine Bow Council Signs Water Protection Plan

APRIL 23, 2025|

Photo – Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems logo – Courtesy RARWS webpage

The Medicine Bow governing body voted to expand the protected area surrounding the wells that supply the town’s water.

During the April 14^th Medicine Bow Town Council Meeting, Mayor Justin George proposed Resolution 2025-2, Source Water Protection. Mayor George explained that per the suggestion of water experts, the resolution enlarges the area of protection around the Como Bluff well field.

Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems Source Water Protection Specialist Michelle Christopher said the revised protection area encompasses the wells and the recharge area in northeastern Albany County, at the Casper aquifer.

Bigfoot99 spoke to Source Water Protection Specialist Christopher about the importance of protecting sources of drinking water around the state. Christopher explained that a source water protection plan, such as the one signed by Medicine Bow, attempts to prevent industry and agriculture-related contamination from entering the ground water.

As the state’s Source Water Protection Specialist, Christopher works with communities around Wyoming to develop plans to protect their water sources. Christopher said every plan is unique.

In Medicine Bow, for example, Christopher said the wells that supply the town with drinking water are located in Albany County. However, the wells are fed by an aquifer north of Laramie, meaning contamination may not reach the Medicine Bow wells right away. A water source protection plan must take all those factors and more into account to ensure the water remains safe to drink.

Christopher said mining operations and oil and gas pipelines are the most likely cause of water source contamination. The water source protection plan establishes a protocol for notifying the appropriate entities in the event of a spill.

Additionally, the Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems works with county officials, such as Carbon County Emergency Manager Lenny Layman, to determine how contamination and cleanup efforts may impact the water shed.

Christopher explained that the water source protection plan also establishes backup water supplies in case the primary source becomes unusable.

Christopher said Medicine Bow’s water source protection plan includes specific provisions to safeguard the water supply from potential contamination caused by wind farm operations, such as lubricants and vehicle fuel. The Source Water Protection Specialist deliberately kept details of the Medicine Bow plan vague to prevent malicious individuals from using it to sabotage the town’s water supply.

At the April 14^th Medicine Bow Town Council Meeting, Mayor Justin George emphasized the importance of protecting the town’s drinking water.

The Medicine Bow Town Council unanimously voted to sign Resolution 2025-2, the Source Water Protection Plan.