Wyoming water district sues landowners to condemn private property for Alkali Dam and reservoir project

A Bighorn Basin water district filed condemnation lawsuits Tuesday seeking easements on private property to enable construction of a canal system and a reservoir for the proposed $103 million Alkali Creek Dam near Hyattville. Nowood Watershed Improvement District filed eminent domain documents in Big Horn County District Court in Basin, board member Todd Jones told WyoFile on Wednesday. The suits seek temporary and permanent easements across property owned by at least five separate people or entities. “Despite efforts by the district to acquire the permanent and temporary easements … Defendant has declined to allow [the] district to purchase the described permanent and temporary easements,” one complaint viewed by WyoFile states. “The taking and use of the premises as set forth … is necessary and appropriate for the project,” the document reads. A summons accompanying the document states that the landowner targeted for condemnation has until five days before a Dec.

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