JACKSON, Wyo. — On Tuesday, May 4, the Teton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) unanimously voted to approve the Teton County Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP), a 20-year vision for the management and protection of surface and groundwater resources.
The WQMP project is a comprehensive scientific analysis and implementation plan that outlines detailed mitigation strategies for wastewater, stormwater and drinking water.
Teton County’s first-ever comprehensive water plan was presented to the public on November 15. Over the past two years, Teton County has been working with the Town of Jackson, Teton Conservation District and Protect our Water Jackson Hole (POWJH) to develop the draft WQMP for the community.
POWJH Interim Executive Director Dan Heilig wrote on Facebook, “If implemented fully and faithfully, the WQMP will help to ensure that ground and surface water quality will be restored and protected for future generations.”
According to POWJH, the approved WQMP includes a Summary Action Plan that outlines a number of priority water quality initiatives scheduled over the next several years. Those actions include:
- Expanding water quality monitoring
- Updating the county’s small wastewater facility regulations
- Crafting new land development regulations to better protect water quality
- Acquiring the Munger Mountain sewer line and expanding its service area
- Extending a sewer line north along Highway 89 to serve Elk Refuge Inn and Flat Creek Inn
- Building RV dump stations and snow storage areas
- Supporting the development of a new public water supply system for the residents of Hoback Junction
This water initiative is supported by the Water Quality Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) measure approved by voters in 2022, and over $2 million allocated in the county’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget for water quality initiatives.
