Solar and Wind Electric Powered Stock Water Pumping Initiative to Alleviate Drought Impact on Grazing Land

Wyoming is in the fifth year of a drought that has left most of the state in either an Extreme or Exceptional drought category. Reduction in surface water flows cause livestock to find more resilient water sources including rivers and streams. Damage to riparian areas and contamination of these water sources by livestock waste create significant environmental concerns. The purpose of this project is to install and evaluate the use of solar and wind powered sock water pumps in remote grazing areas of Wyoming. The common use of small diesel or propane engines to power remote electricity service lines creates noise and air pollution, and creates inefficiencies for a rancher’s grazing operation. Using solar or wind powered water pumps is a time-saving and environmentally beneficial solution in remote grazing areas. These technologies, however, have yet to gain widespread acceptance, due mainly to the newness of the technology and the initial cost of the pumping systems.