River restoration may find GPR aid from UW

The River Restoration meeting held at 1 p.m. on April 22, at the Saratoga Town Hall ended with the committee further informed regarding the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).

According to Glen Leavengood, Administrative District Manager for the Saratoga Encampment Rawlins Conservation District (SERCD), an employee from the Department of Agriculture was going to attend the meeting to explain the specifics of a Watershed Improvement District; however, at the last minute he was unable to attend.

Although the employee was unable to attend the meeting, Leavengood said he would like him to come to the next River Restoration meeting.

A Watershed Improvement District is the current path that the committee is researching to unite landowners under one organization.

Once a Watershed Improvement District is established through a vote, “then all members of the district will be invited to attend the meeting where they will appoint their own governing body,” said Leavengood.

According to Leavengood, it would give all landowners within the watershed district membership and a vote in river restoration-related matters.

In addition, Joe Parsons, Natural Resource Specialist for SERCD, discovered new information regarding the GPR that has potential to significantly lower the cost.

Parsons discovered that the University of Wyoming has GPR in their department of Geology and Geophysics. This, according to Parsons, could potentially reduce the cost of the survey. As of April 22, he had not been in contact with the school, but is hopeful.

The next date for the River Restoration meeting has not been set—to ensure that all people they would like to speak for the next meeting, can be in attendance. However, they are interested in having the meeting sometime in May.