Laramie Completes Dowlin Diversion Rehabilitation, Installs Fish Ladder

A structure that diverted water from the Laramie River for more than a hundred years has been torn down and replaced, with the City of Laramie completing the Dowlin Diversion rehabilitation project and installing a fish ladder in the new dam.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department cameras captured the entire transformation in time-lapse, and the second half of that footage, showing the completion of the new diversion and dam, was released March 11, 2026. The first half, documenting the demolition of the dilapidated original structure, had been shared the previous December.

The Dowlin Diversion began operation in the early 1900s, diverting water from the Laramie River through the Dowlin Ditch and a network of lateral ditches to supply roughly 2,500 acres of irrigated meadows. Jay Smith, the City of Laramie's natural resource program administrator, had described the structure's condition plainly: "The diversion structure is still functioning, but it and the other components of the system, are nearing the end of their useful service life."

For the City, the stakes extend well beyond irrigation maintenance. Laramie purchased the Monolith Ranch in 1981 and acquired the adjacent Bath Ranch in 2022, and its long-term plan is to eventually transfer agricultural water rights to municipal use as the city grows. Allowing those water rights to lapse by abandoning the diversion would reduce the volume eligible for that future transfer. The rehabilitation secures those rights while bringing the infrastructure into the 21st century with new headgates, updated measuring devices, and improved safety features for people near the water.

Fish passage is the project's most ecologically significant addition. The new diversion is designed to provide passage during most flow rates, and Smith framed it as an extension of the project's core purpose rather than an add-on: "While the diversion rehabilitation project's main focus is to improve the irrigation system, it is also an opportunity to provide for and improve the site for fish passage." He also noted the possibility of eventual boat passage along that section of the river.

The project drew funding and technical support from multiple agencies. On June 18, 2024, Mayor Brian Harrington signed Resolution 2024-54, authorizing the City's acceptance of a Natural Resources Conservation Service EQIP grant, contract number 748E49240EV, which covered 50 percent of the project's cost. Partners included the Laramie River Conservation District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Ducks Unlimited, and NRCS. The City also authorized the City Manager to sign future grants from those partners and any additional funders needed to complete the project.

Planning relied on a Level II Study completed by Laramie engineering firm WWC Engineering, with Justin Tefehr serving as project manager. That study was submitted to the Wyoming Water Development Commission and identified the preferred replacement design.

The Dowlin Diversion work fits into a broader pattern of river restoration in Albany County. The Laramie River Conservation District, which assisted stakeholders throughout the rehabilitation process, has separately completed a 3,000-foot stretch of river enhancement creating improved trout habitat and a new oxbow wetland through its Jelm Phase 1 project. Planning is underway for Jelm Phase 2, which would extend that restoration work another 1,500 feet downstream. Both phases fall within a Wyoming Game and Fish Department public fishing easement.

Additional information about the City of Laramie Municipal Ranches and the Dowlin Diversion is available at cityoflaramie.org/1162.