Surface Water Drainage

Wyo. Stat. Ann. tit. 16, ch. 10
in effect

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-10-102 Definitions.

(a) As used in this act: (i) "Governing body" means the board of county commissioners of a county, the governing body of a city or town or a joint powers board; (ii) "Surface water drainage system" means all natural and man-made elements used to convey surface water from the first point of impact with the surface of the earth to a suitable area of disposal or controlled drainage. A surface water drainage system may include, but is not limited to, all pipes, curbs, gutters, treatment facilities, channels, streams, ditches, wetlands, detention and retention basins, ponds and other surface water conveyances and facilities for surface water conveyances, management and treatment, whether public or private; (iii) "Surface water drainage utility" means an enterprise fund function by which a governing body provides for public needs in the area of surface water drainage management and charges user fees to finance all or a portion of its operations; (iv) "Surface water drainage management" means the planning, designing, construction, reconstruction, acquisition, operation, improvement, extension or maintenance of a surface water drainage system; (v) "Surface water drainage area" means the land area of a city, town or county, including any federal flood plain insurance area, served by a surface water drainage system which is under surface water drainage management; (vi) "This act" means W.S. 16-10-101 through 16-10-110.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-10-103 Powers.

(a) In addition to all other powers provided by law, any governing body may establish a surface water drainage utility to design, plan, construct, reconstruct, acquire, operate, improve, extend or maintain a surface water drainage system, sometimes referred to as a storm water drainage system. To carry out this duty, any city or town may go beyond its corporate limits to hold and acquire property by agreement. To carry out this duty, a county may go beyond its boundaries to hold and acquire property by agreement. (b) No construction relating to a surface water drainage system shall be undertaken on property within the boundaries of a governing body other than the governing body establishing the surface water drainage system unless both bodies agree to the construction. (c) In addition to other methods provided by law or ordinance, and subject to voter approval as provided by W.S. 16-10-105(d), a governing body may issue revenue bonds and may levy and collect service charges to finance the surface water drainage utility. A surface water drainage utility may be formed by the governing body of any city or town, or by the county in the unincorporated area of the county, as provided by this act, for all or a portion of the respective municipality by its governing body, or for all or a portion of the unincorporated area of a county by its governing body. (d) No action shall be undertaken which would interfere with historical, appropriated or beneficial use of any Wyoming water right.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-10-104 Formation of a surface water drainage utility.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a surface water drainage utility may be formed by the governing body of any city or town, or by the county in the unincorporated area of a county, as provided by this act, for all or a portion of the respective municipality by its governing body, or for all or a portion of the unincorporated area of a county by its governing body.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-10-105 Ordinance or resolution for construction; required and authorized provisions.

(a) If the governing body of a city, town or county desires to establish a surface water drainage utility pursuant to this act, a county shall do so by resolution and a city or town shall do so by ordinance. The resolution or ordinance shall provide for the administration of the surface water drainage utility either by the governing body of the city, town, county, joint powers board or other board or entity selected by the applicable governing body, including but not limited to a board of public utilities formed pursuant to W.S. 15-7-401. The ordinance or resolution shall contain the specific description of the surface water drainage area to be served by the surface water drainage utility. (b) Subject to voter approval as provided by subsection (e) of this section, a city, town, county or joint powers board may fund the surface water drainage utility by general and special funds, revenue or other bonds and other forms of indebtedness, service charges or a combination of these sources. The resolution or ordinance establishing the utility, or a resolution or ordinance later adopted by the governing body, shall specify the means of financing the surface water drainage utility by one (1) or more of the following sources: (i) Revenue or other bonds may be issued meeting the procedural requirements and provisions of W.S. 35-2-425 through 35-2-428 as provided for the issuance of bonds by hospital districts; (ii) Service charges may be levied by the taxing authority having jurisdiction where the property is located against landowners served by the surface water drainage utility. No service charges may be levied against land assessed as agricultural land under W.S. 39-13-101(a) without the consent of the landowner. Proceeds of the service charges may be used to: (A) Finance the surface water drainage utility; and (B) Pledge the revenues derived from any service charges for use of the surface water drainage utility, including but not limited to: (I) Pay the cost of designing, planning, constructing, reconstructing, acquiring, operating, improving, extending and maintaining the surface water drainage system; (II) Provide an adequate depreciation fund; (III) If revenue bonds or other forms of indebtedness are issued, pay the principal and interest of the bonds issued; and (IV) Study surface water drainage requirements. (iii) Any other source of revenue including the capital facilities tax collected under W.S. 39-15-203(a)(iii), if so dedicated. (c) The governing board shall by resolution or ordinance set the portion of costs to be charged against landowners in the city, town, county or portion thereof, if any, to be paid by the county, city or town as a whole. (d) The governing body shall not levy service charges outside its jurisdiction without the approval of the governing body having jurisdiction of the affected areas within the surface water drainage area. (e) A governing body shall not fund a surface water utility until the proposition to impose the means of financing the surface water drainage utility has been submitted to and adopted by the electors within the proposed surface water drainage area under this subsection. Upon adoption of a resolution or ordinance pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the proposition to impose the means of financing the surface water drainage utility shall be submitted to the electors within the proposed utility on an election date determined by the governing body and authorized under W.S. 22-21-103. A notice of election shall be given in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the election is to be held or in the city or town if only a city wide or town wide utility is proposed, and the notice shall specify the proposed means of financing the surface water drainage utility. At the election the ballots shall contain appropriate language explaining the proposed means of financing the surface water drainage utility. If the proposition is adopted, the governing body may proceed to issue revenue bonds or otherwise fund the surface water drainage utility as specified in the ballot proposition. If the proposition is defeated, a proposition to impose a means of financing the surface water drainage utility shall not again be submitted to the electors within the utility before the next election date authorized under W.S. 22-21-103 and occurring not less than two (2) years after the election at which the proposition was defeated.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-10-106 Agreements authorized.

The state, or any department of the state, may enter into agreements with governing bodies to exercise authorities conferred by this act.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-10-107 Surface water drainage utility board.

(a) Any governing body which creates a surface water drainage utility may establish a surface water drainage utility board to exercise and perform all powers and duties which the governing body could perform under this act. The surface water drainage utility board shall manage, operate, maintain and control the surface water drainage utility and promulgate all rules and regulations necessary for the operation and maintenance of the surface water drainage utility. The surface water drainage utility board may also plan, design, improve, expand or enlarge the surface water drainage system, study surface water drainage requirements and design capital improvements as provided in this act. (b) A surface water drainage utility board created pursuant to this act shall consist of five (5) members appointed by the governing body. Members shall be residents of that portion of the county where the utility levies its service charges, or absent a service charge, is providing or will provide service. Upon creation of the surface water drainage utility board, one (1) member of the board shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years, two (2) for a term of four (4) years and two (2) for a term of six (6) years. Thereafter, each member shall be appointed for a term of six (6) years. (c) All meetings, records and accounts of the surface water drainage utility board shall be managed and conducted in accordance with the Public Records Act, W.S. 16-4-201 through 16-4-205, the Uniform Municipal Fiscal Procedures Act, W.S. 16-4-101 through 16-4-125, and the Public Meetings Act, W.S. 16-4-401 through 16-4-408. The salaries, if any, of the members of the surface water drainage utility board shall be fixed by the board of county commissioners and by the city or town council, as applicable. (d) The surface water drainage utility board has exclusive control of the surface water drainage utility. The surface water drainage utility board may: (i) Hire and discharge necessary personnel, and provide for a system of personnel administration; (ii) Purchase all materials and supplies necessary for the purposes of the surface water drainage system; (iii) In the name of the county, city, town or joint powers board, acquire and hold property and equipment necessary and convenient for carrying out the purposes of the surface water drainage utility board; (iv) Issue vouchers or warrants in payment of all claims and accounts incurred by the surface water drainage utility board for the surface water drainage system. When the vouchers or warrants are approved by the surface water drainage utility board, the treasurer of the applicable governing body shall pay and charge them against the proper funds. (e) The engineer of the county, city, town or joint powers board and staff may provide staff assistance as necessary.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-10-108 Refunding revenue bonds.

A governing body may issue refunding revenue bonds in the manner prescribed by W.S. 16-5-101 through 16-5-119.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-10-109 Use of surplus funds.

(a) A governing body may use any surplus funds arising from the service charge for the purchase and cancellation of any bonds or other forms of indebtedness issued pursuant to this act. The purchase price of the bonds shall not be either: (i) Greater than par, plus a premium not to exceed fifty percent (50%) of the face value of all unearned interest coupons attached to any bond purchased; or (ii) More than the actual market price of the bonds or other forms of indebtedness at the time of purchase.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-10-110 Recovery of unpaid charges.

If any service charge is not paid within thirty (30) days after it is due, the amount of the service charge, plus a penalty of ten percent (10%) and a reasonable attorney's and collection agency's fee shall constitute a lien against the land served and may be recovered in a civil action against the landowner by the governing body.
Source: WY Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title16.pdfFetched: 10/4/2026