UW’s College of Law Co-Sponsors Wind River Water Forum in Fort Washakie May 1

The Wind River Water Forum, a gathering dedicated to water-management issues facing the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes on the Wind River Reservation, as well as tribal nations across the United States, is scheduled Friday, May 1.

The event, scheduled from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Frank B. Wise Building, located at 3 Ethete Road in Fort Washakie, is free and open to the public, with options for in-person and Zoom attendance. The forum includes a community breakfast from 8-9 a.m. and a community lunch from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

The Wind River Water Forum is co-sponsored by the Office of the Tribal Water Engineer; the Gina Guy Center for Land and Water Law at the University of Wyoming College of Law; and the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment at the University of Colorado Law School.

This year's Water Forum will feature three panels and a keynote address that will explore a range of water-related topics, from water management on the Wind River Reservation to broader challenges facing tribal nations nationwide.

-- Wind River Water Resources Control Board Panel, 9:30-11 a.m.: Led by Tribal Water Engineer Lokilo St. Clair and composed of Wind River Water Resources Control Board (WRWRCB) members, this panel will discuss foundational aspects of water management on the Wind River Reservation and current challenges facing the board.

-- Community Organizations Panel, 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Moderated by Anna Lenaker, author of The Past, Present and Future of Water on the Wind River Indian Reservation, this panel will highlight community-based organizations engaged in water-related work on the Wind River Reservation. Panelists include representatives from the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, Wyoming Outdoor Council, Greater Yellowstone Coalition and Wind River Development Fund.

-- Beyond Wind River Panel, 1:30-2:45 p.m.: Moderated by Daniel Anderson, Water Law Fellow at the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment at the University of Colorado Law School, this panel will present research on water-management challenges facing tribal nations across the United States, connecting this work to the Wind River Reservation. Panelists include researchers and fellows from the UW College of Law and the Native American Rights Fund.

-- Optional infrastructure tour, Saturday, May 2, 8 a.m.-noon.: Led by Howard Brown, a WRWRCB member; Richard Baldes, a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist; and Gary Collins, a former tribal water engineer, this tour will visit key water infrastructure sites on the Wind River Reservation.

The tour starts outside the Frank B. Wise Building at 8 a.m. and includes stops at Bull Lake, the proposed Steamboat Reservoir project location; Diversion Dam/Wyoming Canal; Ray Lake and Washakie Reservoir, before returning to the Frank B. Wise Building at noon for an optional debrief discussion that will conclude by 2 p.m. A simple breakfast and lunch will be provided. To join the tour, fill out the sign-up form.

For more forum event information, go to https://www.uwyo.edu/law/centers/center-for-land-and-water-law/events/wind-river-water-forum.html.