Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region Wyoming Projects

Wyoming Projects

The Pacific Northwest Region's Minidoka Project extends into the upper Snake River drainage of western Wyoming. Two reservoirs provide valuable storage and river regulation for downstream users—Jackson Lake Dam in Wyoming, and Palisades Dam in Idaho.

Pacific Northwest Region activities in Wyoming are limited to the operation of Jackson Lake Dam and Grassy Lake Dam, located in Grand Teton National Park. This area is administered by the Upper Snake Field Office.

For information on other Reclamation activities in Wyoming visit https://www.usbr.gov/gp/wyao/.

History

In the mid-1800s, pioneer farmers and ranchers in Wyoming relied heavily on irrigation practices to secure water in order to sustain their livelihoods. This was needed in a state known for erratic and low annual precipitation. Following the Civil War, Wyoming's expanding livestock industry fueled irrigation development throughout the state as additional farms were needed to grow forage crops.

Without irrigation many farms could not survive. As the rapid expansion of ranching and farming continued, it became apparent that Wyoming needed more dependable water supplies. Early projects by the Reclamation Service supplied water to Wyoming not only for irrigation, but for other benefits such as hydropower, municipal and industrial use, recreation, and fish and wildlife.

Jackson Lake, at the headwaters of the Snake River, stores water used for irrigation in the fertile Snake River Valley in Idaho. Jackson Lake Dam was completed in 1916, many years before Grand Teton National Park was established.

With the exception of two storage reservoirs, Jackson Lake and Grassy Lake, the remainder of Reclamation projects in Wyoming are managed by the Great Plains Region.

Project	Dam	Powerplant
Minidoka Project	Grassy Lake Dam
	Jackson Lake Dam

Contacts
Snake River Area
Lanie Paquin Area Manager (208) 383-2248 Snake River Area Office 230 Collins Road Boise, ID 83702-4520	Bryan Horsburgh Deputy Area Manager (208) 383-2248 bhorsburgh@usbr.gov Middle Snake Field Office 230 Collins Road Boise, ID 83702-4520	Michael Hilliard Assistant Area Manager (208) 678-0461 ext. 34 mhilliard@usbr.gov Upper Snake Field Office 470 22nd Street Heyburn, ID 83336

Last Updated: 10/24/23