Water Quality
Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms
The LWRCD has been assisting the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) with Harmful Cyanobacteria (HCB) monitoring on Boysen Reservoir over the 2024 summer. The monitoring consists of gathering information of what is occurring, including if a visible bloom is present, at various locations around Boysen every two weeks. The algal blooms have been present since mid July, but not all algae are bad algae!
Two primary water samples are collected to determine if there is a presence of Cyanotoxins and Microcystin in the blooms. If the presence of either is above certain thresholds, the information is posted as a bloom or toxin advisory promoting caution, as these can be harmful to livestock, pets and humans if ingested. To follow HCBs advisories check out Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms (wyohcbs.org). You can sign up to receive updates on HCBs and advisories on their website.
Listed Impaired Water Sources
There are three waters in the district that are currently considered impaired by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. The district has been conducting water quality monitoring on all three waters through grants from the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.
Muddy Creek—listed as impaired due to E.coli from Boysen Reservoir upstream to the Wind River Indian Reservation boundary
Poison Creek—listed as impaired due to E.coli from Boysen Reservoir upstream for two miles
Ocean Lake—currently on the WDEQ Category 4 waters which means that the lake is impaired or threatened for a warm water fishery due to sediment and a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) was written.