August 2022 - 16

IN THE FIELD
In 2016 a large release of sediment from Willwood Dam left part of the Shoshone River with muddy water that killed off fish and other aquatic life. Standing 70 feet tall, the dam is used to raise
water levels during the growing season. (Photo by Jason Burckhardt/WGFD)
Protecting the Shoshone River
Work from several organizations help reduce
sediment from Willwood Dam
By Tracie Binkerd
F
ollowing an unintentional release
of large quantities of sediment from
the Willwood Dam in northwest
Wyoming in 2016, the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department, Department
of Environmental Quality and other state,
federal, local and private partners have worked
to improve habitat for aquatic life and reduce
the risk of such an event from happening
in the future. The sediment release nearly
six years ago resulted in the loss of fish and
aquatic invertebrates and the release of trash
and debris in a portion of the Shoshone River.
Constructed in 1924, the 70-feet-tall
16 | August 2022
Willwood Dam is used to raise the water level
of the Shoshone River during the growing
season so water can fill irrigation ditches. As
water is held back, sediment builds up. After
the irrigation season the irrigation district
must lower the water level behind the dam
to prevent ice from damaging the dam. This
has the potential to release sediment and other
debris downstream. While some sediment in
a river is natural, the timing and delivery of
sediment can have consequences on downstream
aquatic life.
" Too much sediment can clog the spaces
between rocks where aquatic invertebrates
live and reduce trout spawning habitat, " said
Jason Burckhardt, Game and Fish fisheries
biologist in the Cody Region.
The issue of sediment released into water
isn't exclusive to the area below Willwood
Dam. Locations across the West have had
similar issues, and finding a solution isn't easy.
At Willwood the dam is working exactly as it
was designed - but it wasn't designed with
fish, habitat or downstream irrigation users in
mind. Now, working groups are coming at the
problem from different angles to address the
concerns surrounding the sediment release.
Working in collaboration with multiple
partners, Game and Fish is identifying sources
of sediment and coming up with solutions to
reduce it. Laura Burckhardt, Game and Fish
aquatic habitat biologist in the Cody Region,

August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2022

August 2022 - 1
August 2022 - 2
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2024
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/September2020
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