CODY — The Greybull Valley Irrigation District (GVID) has announced plans to drain Upper Sunshine Reservoir west of Meeteetse to perform critical irrigation infrastructure repairs. This necessary maintenance will have significant short-term impacts on fish populations, though the project is anticipated to provide long-term benefits for the reservoir’s fishery.
GVID, which manages water levels for irrigation, plans to draft the reservoir throughout the 2026 irrigation season, with the goal of being completely drained by September 1, 2026. This drawdown will allow for a comprehensive engineering investigation into necessary repairs. Refilling is scheduled to begin October 1, 2026, the start of the new water year; however, the reservoir will be drained again in 2027 to facilitate construction, which is slated for completion by April 2028.
Impacts to the fishery
“While the fishery will be effectively lost for at least two years due to the drawdown, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department anticipates long-term benefits,” said Cody Regional Fisheries Biologist Jason Burckhardt.
“Recent sampling has indicated reduced growth rates in stocked Yellowstone cutthroat trout, likely due to an overabundance of longnose suckers competing for resources, and the drawdown will significantly reduce the sucker population,” Burckhardt said. “In addition, once the reservoir is refilled, the flooding of terrestrial vegetation and soils is expected to release a surplus of nutrients, boosting plankton production, which in turn will improve trout growth rates and size structure.”
Game and Fish will not stock the small pool that will form during the 2026-2027 period, as it will be drained again in the fall of 2027. Stocking to rebuild the fishery will resume in the fall of 2028, once repairs are completed and water levels stabilize.
Access to boat ramps
The boat ramp at Upper Sunshine Reservoir is currently not usable due to low water levels and will continue to be impacted as the drawdown proceeds. Anglers are encouraged to explore alternative fishing locations in the region, including the nearby Lower Sunshine Reservoir, Boysen Reservoir south of Thermopolis, Buffalo Bill Reservoir west of Cody, and Meadowlark Lake in the Bighorn Mountains. The boat ramp at Lower Sunshine Reservoir is currently usable, however this may change based on water levels in the reservoir.
For questions regarding the maintenance schedule and water levels, please contact the Greybull Valley Irrigation District at 307-762-3555. For information regarding fisheries management and angling opportunities, contact the Cody Regional Game and Fish office at 307-527–7125.
