There's no doubt that the relatively wet, cool weather that has prevailed for most of 2009 has taken a toll on some industries and activities in Wyoming.

For example, construction projects have been disrupted, and flash floods have damaged property. Even people who depend upon precipitation to make their living have had their struggles because of the weather: Fishing guides on some streams have seen their business drop because of persistent rain, and many sugar beet growers lost what appeared to be a bumper crop because of October's early snow and cold.

But even considering those problems, the wet weather this year has been overwhelmingly positive for the Cowboy State. Combined with solid snowfall the last couple of winters, 2009's moisture has pulled Wyoming out of close to a decade of drought. As the Star-Tribune reported last week, the entire state will enter the coming winter completely drought-free for the first time in nine years.

That's something worth celebrating.

Here are some of the reasons Wyomingites should be thankful for the end of the drought:

* Our reservoirs have been replenished. It has taken a couple of years, but it appears we finally have enough water in storage to avoid curtailment of irrigation and municipal use when streams are running low in spring and late summer. The North Platte River reservoirs had been particularly hard hit, dropping to near-record-low levels in recent years. Now that the levels of those reservoirs and others have returned to near historical averages, many water users in the state are breathing a big sigh of relief.

* Rising water levels will bring significant benefits to Wyoming's fish populations, an important part of recreation and tourism in the state. Just a few years ago, there was talk that Pathfinder Reservoir had dropped so low that its entire fishery was in jeopardy. No more. More water means more fish in streams, lakes and reservoirs across the state.

* Our rangelands are starting to recover. That's great news for both the livestock industry and wildlife enthusiasts, as there's more for animals to eat. That means more and healthier livestock and big game, two other important pieces of the state's economy.

The effects of the extended drought on our rangelands haven't disappeared -- for some plant species, it will take years of good moisture for their condition to rebound substantially -- but the situation is much better than a few years ago.

* The danger of wildland fires is reduced dramatically. While it's true that the mountain pine beetle is devastating the state's lodgepole forests and raising the prospect of big blazes, the risk of both forest and rangeland fires has been diminished by 2009's moisture. Fire activity has been minimal this year. Next year, of course, could be different, but we should all be thankful for at least a one-year break.

One of the facts of life in Wyoming is that the weather can change on a dime -- as witnessed by the sudden change in recent days from one of the coldest, wettest Octobers on record to warm, dry November weather. So there are no guarantees the state won't return to drought next year.

In addition, it's important to remember that most of Wyoming is considered high-elevation desert, so in some ways we're always on the verge of drought.

But for now, let's all be grateful we've pulled out of one of the driest periods in memory.