EAS Completed for Two Reservoir Projects

The Bureau of Land Management last week released final Environmental Impact Statements for two projects in the Bighorn Basin.

The Leavitt Reservoir Expansion Project near Shell is intended to provide late season irrigation and reduce flooding in the area of Shell while increasing recreation opportunities for visitors.

Leavitt Reservoir currently has a surface area of approximately 45 acres and a capacity of 643 acre-feet of water. The proposed project would expand the reservoir to 203 acres with a capacity of 6,604 acre-feet – that’s approximately 2.15 billion gallons of water.

The Alkali Creek Reservoir Project near Hyattville is intended to provide late season irrigation to relieve shortages in the Paint Rock Creek Watershed and Nowood River area. The proposed reservoir is approximately 294 acres in size and would have a normal capacity of approximately 7,994 acre-feet, or 2.6 billion gallons of water.