The Fate Of Wyoming’s LaPrele Dam Is Sealed

What should Wyoming do with an old dam that is leaking?

The LaPrele is located west of Douglas, Wyoming just up the mountain from the Natural Bridge and on the same river.

The idea that the dam has reached the end of its life is not new. Engineers have been monitoring stress on the structure for years.

One suggestion is to drain the water, demolish the dam, and rebuild.

That idea comes with some problems.

In the short term, the LaPrele Creek will freely flow without storage.

The replacement dam is estimated to be completed by 2029

The idea of demolition has locals worried about water rights, increased flooding, and regional economic decline. What about irrigators in Nebraska being left out of the state breach order?

Legislators are already lining up ideas and meetings on the dam in their next legislative session set to take place in 2025.

One discussion item is where the funding for all of this work will come from.

The state has set aside $30 Million, with another $32 million coming from the federal government. But it will take far more money than that to finish the project. The entire cost is estimated to be about $118 million.

A caller to Wake Up Wyoming with Glenn Woods expressed concerns over the many problems of demolition including possible flooding while the damn is out of commission.

Another caller asked about patching the dam and calling it good.

That would be a short-term solution if it worked at all.

Eventually, this damn has to be replaced.

Below is a statement from Governor Mark Gordon regarding the dam's demolition. 

“I want to commend the State Engineer and his staff for recognizing the significant risks of a potential dam failure and proactively addressing them before a disaster occurred,” Governor Gordon said. “This decision was not made lightly, and we recognize the impact this will have on those who rely on that water for irrigation.”

Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart sheds light on the situation stating:

“This dam has significant structural deficiencies and has exceeded its useful life,” Gebhart said. “Due to preemptive actions already taken, there is currently no risk or danger to the public downstream because there is little to no water stored and the outlets are able to pass inflows to prevent new storage. However, continued use of the dam to store water could cause catastrophic failure, which poses a threat to life and property. These threats need to be mitigated before the spring runoff, when flows are expected to exceed the dam’s ability to pass inflows.”

Just to the east of the dam and a short trip downriver is Ayres Natural Bridge.