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The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) has received a request from Sheridan County Conservation District, for a temporary increase in turbidity in the Tongue River at the former Acme power plant north of Sheridan, Wyoming. The temporary increase in turbidity is associated with proposed partial removal and stabilization of an existing derelict diversion dam to improve fish and boater passage. The project involves removal of the top portion of the diversion dam above the channel surface and stabilizing the remaining structure with imported rock. No excavation of material will be conducted however heavy equipment access will temporarily disturb the channel bed.
Activity in cold water streams like the Tongue River is normally limited to a ten (10) NTU increase over background. Approval of this request would allow an exceedance of this limit for up to twenty-one (21) total working days, subject to monitoring and reporting. This activity will follow the procedures in Chapter 1, Section 23(c)(ii), of the WDEQ Water Quality Rules, which allow for temporary elevated levels of turbidity in certain circumstances. The applicant has applied for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit for the project.
Requests for information about the proposed temporary turbidity increase should be directed to Eric Hargett by email ([email protected]) or phone (307-777-6701). Written comments must be addressed to Eric Hargett, Wyoming DEQ/WQD, 200 W. 17th Street ? 4TH floor, Cheyenne, WY, 82002, and be postmarked on or before 5:00 p.m. on January 31, 2023 to be considered. Electronic comments may only be submitted through and accepted by the Wyoming DEQ comment portal provided at http://wq.wyomingdeq.commentinput.com/. Phone comments will not be accepted. Para espa?ol, visite deq.wyoming.gov.
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