Hot Spring Conservation District

08/07/2026

Due to unseasonably warm temperatures causing water temperatures to regularly exceed 70°F, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is requesting that anglers avoid fishing in some areas and shift their fishing in other areas to protect trout populations.

Cody Region Waters Under Voluntary Closures:

Bighorn River (Hot Springs State Park downstream to Skelton Boat Ramp): Full Voluntary Closure. Water temperatures are failing to drop below 70°F overnight, leaving no safe window for catch-and-release fishing. Please avoid fishing this section entirely.

Bighorn River (Wedding of the Waters downstream to Hot Springs State Park Boat Ramp): Afternoon/Night Voluntary Closure (12:00 PM to Sunrise). Please pause all catch-and-release fishing after 12:00 PM.

Extended hot air temperatures and low water flows in the Bighorn River below Boysen Dam have caused river temperatures to regularly exceed 70 degrees in the afternoon and evening, posing a serious threat to caught-and-released trout. Sam Hochhalter, Cody Regional Fisheries Supervisor, said “Summer temperatures in the Bighorn River through Thermopolis often exceed 70 degrees in July and August. What makes this summer particularly concerning is that anglers are continuing to fish the Bighorn River during periods of elevated water temperatures. This wasn’t the case in years past.”

Hochhalter continued, “Thermopolis continues to grow as a destination for quality trout fishing. Over the last handful of years there has been a substantial increase in the number of flyshops, fishing guides, and public anglers in town. This increase has led to concerns over crowding and now, concerns over angling during periods of elevated water temperatures.”

Why Timing Matters
Warm water carries significantly less dissolved oxygen, making it difficult for trout to recover after a fight. Advised for any waters:
At 65°F: Anglers are encouraged to harvest legal limits rather than practice catch-and-release.
At 70°F+: Catch-and-release fishing should be stopped entirely for the day.
Above 75°F: Water temperatures become hazardous, and brief exposure above 80°F is often fatal to trout.

07/07/2026

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
HOT SPRINGS CONSERVATION DISTRICT BUDGET
Notice is hereby given of a public hearing, to be held at 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The hearing will be held during a regularly scheduled meeting of the Hot Springs Conservation District Board of Supervisors. The location of the hearing is the Conservation District Office, which is located at 601 Broadway, Suite A, Thermopolis, WY. The purpose of said hearing is to accept public comments on the Hot Springs Conservation District’s proposed budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027. All persons wishing to be heard on this matter may appear and be heard at the designated time and place stated herein.

Send a message to learn more

07/03/2026

Went out to one of the spots where the Red Canyon Fire burned the hottest last year. Saw some encouraging things as far as native grass recovery. Would’ve been nice to have normal snowpack and some spring rain but it is what it is. The “blue” bunch grass is probably Idaho fescue. The third picture is a large stand of Western Wheatgrass that’s doing a superb job of stabilizing the soil and ash on that slope.

05/27/2026

UW Extension is offering some drought related webinars.

05/06/2026

04/30/2026

USDA Designates Three Wyoming Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Seven contiguous counties in Wyoming are eligible for assistance

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for 8 or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.

Impacted Area: Wyoming

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast Track)

Application Deadline: December 21, 2026

Primary Counties Eligible:

Wyoming: Big Horn, Fremont and Hot Springs
Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Wyoming: Carbon, Johnson, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton and Washakie
Montana: Big Horn and Carbon

USDA Designates Three Wyoming Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas Farmers.gov sent this bulletin at 04/30/2026 01:51 PM EDT Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage. NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release Date: April 30, 2026 Contact Jolene Beiswenger 307-261-5008 [email protected]...