The Teton County commissioners on Oct. 7 approved a joint funding agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to compile, analyze and summarize existing water-quality data for the Snake River watershed, with the county’s contribution capped at $50,000.

Chris Polesteaton, County Water Resources, told commissioners the project is designed to assemble decades of monitoring data into a single, modern statistical analysis and produce a USGS Scientific Investigations Report that will establish baselines and inform future monitoring priorities.

Polesteaton said the project focuses on synthesizing existing data, not collecting new monitoring samples, and noted the USGS team will apply modern statistical techniques to better determine how variables interact across sites. Commissioners asked about payment timing, and staff confirmed the county’s payments are staggered over about 18 months and tied to deliverables.

Commissioner Erik Probst moved to approve the joint funding agreement for an amount not to exceed $50,000; Commissioner Macker seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

Commissioners described the work as a necessary next step to improve county decision-making on water management, noting that a consolidated, peer-reviewed USGS report will provide a common baseline for planning and any future sampling strategies.