Wyoming Administrative Code
Agency 020 - Environmental Quality, Dept. of
Sub-Agency 0011 - Water Quality
Chapter 1 - WYOMING SURFACE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
Section 1-3 - Water Uses
Current through September 21, 2024
The objectives of the Wyoming water pollution control program are described in W.S. 35-11-102. These objectives are designed to serve the interests of the state and achieve the related goals, objectives and policies of the Clean Water Act. The objectives of the Wyoming program are to provide, wherever attainable, the highest possible water quality commensurate with the following uses:
(a) Agriculture. For purposes of water pollution control, agricultural uses include irrigation and/or livestock watering.
(b) Fisheries. The fisheries use includes water quality, habitat conditions, spawning and nursery areas, and food sources necessary to sustain populations of cold water game fish, warm water game fish and nongame fish. This use does not include the protection of aquatic invasive species or other fish which may be considered "undesirable" by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within their appropriate jurisdictions.
(c) Industry. Industrial use protection involves maintaining a level of water quality useful for industrial purposes.
(d) Drinking water. The drinking water use involves maintaining a level of water quality that is suitable for potable water or intended to be suitable after receiving conventional drinking water treatment.
(e) Recreation. Recreational use protection involves maintaining a level of water quality which is safe for human contact. It does not guarantee the availability of water for any recreational purpose. The recreation designated use includes primary contact recreation and secondary contact recreation subcategories.
(f) Scenic value. Scenic value use involves the aesthetics of the aquatic systems themselves (odor, color, taste, settleable solids, floating solids, suspended solids and solid waste) and is not necessarily related to general landscape appearance.
(g) Aquatic life other than fish. This use includes water quality and habitat necessary to sustain populations of organisms other than fish in proportions which make up diverse aquatic communities common to the waters of the state. This use does not include the protection of human pathogens, insect pests, aquatic invasive species or other organisms which may be considered "undesirable" by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within their appropriate jurisdictions.
(h) Wildlife. The wildlife use includes protection of water quality to a level which is safe for contact and consumption by avian and terrestrial wildlife species.
(i) Fish consumption. The fish consumption use involves maintaining a level of water quality that will prevent any unpalatable flavor and/or accumulation of harmful substances in fish tissue.
