Characteristics of fluvial systems in the plains and deserts of Wyoming
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Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Geology topics
H. W. Lowham
Publications and source records attributed to H. W. Lowham.
Streamflows in Wyoming
A description of the occurrence and availability of surface waters in Wyoming is presented along with explanations of both streamflow-data collection and methods for estimating streamflow characteristics at gaged and ungaged sites. Mountain ranges separate the major drainage basins and have a significant effect on the quantity of precipitation and the volume of runoff that occurs in Wyoming. Perennial streams that originate in the mountains provide the most dependable source of runoff; streams that originate in the plains and deserts generally are intermittent or ephemeral and have extended periods of no flow. Streamflow data for several hundred gaged sites in the State are available for engineering and management purposes. When gaged data are not available, methods for estimating streamflow characteristics are needed. Methods presented in this report for estimating streamflow characteristics have been improved over previous methods through the use of refined analytical techniques and an updated data base. Peak-flow characteristics and mean annual runoff at ungaged sites can be estimated by using regression equations, with either basin characteristics or channel width being independent variables. Log-linear regression equations are used for estimating streamflow characteristics in the mountains; whereas, curvilinear equations of double-exponential form were determined to be more appropriate than log-linear relations for depicting peak flows in the plains and deserts. (USGS)
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Cumulative potential hydrologic impacts of surface coal mining in the eastern Powder River structural basin, northeastern Wyoming
There are 16 existing and six proposed surface coal mines in the eastern Powder River structural basin of northeastern Wyoming. Coal mining companies predict water level declines of 5 ft or more in the Wasatch aquifer to extend form about 1,000 to about 2,000 ft beyond the mine pits. The predicted 5 ft water level decline in the Wyodak coal aquifer generally extends 4-8 mi beyond the lease areas. About 3,000 wells are in the area of potential cumulative water level declines resulting from all anticipated mining. Of these 3,000 wells, about 1,200 are outside the areas of anticipated mining: about 1,000 wells supply water for domestic or livestock uses, and about 200 wells supply water for municipal, industrial, irrigation, and miscellaneous uses. The 1,800 remaining wells are used by coal mining companies. Future surface coal mining probably will result in postmining groundwater of similar quality to that currently present in the study area. By use of geochemical modeling techniques, the results of a hypothetical reaction path exercise indicate the potential for marked improvements in postmining water quality because of chemical reactions as postmining groundwater with a large dissolved solids concentration (3,540 mg/L) moves into a coal aquifer with relatively small dissolved solids concentrations (910 mg/L). Results of the modeling exercise also indicate geochemical conditions that are most ideal for large decreases in dissolved solids concentrations in coal aquifers receiving recharge from a spoil aquifer. (Lantz-PTT)
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Hydrology of area 51, northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain coal provinces, Wyoming and Montana
This report is one of a series designed to characterize the hydrology of drainage basins within coal provinces, nationwide. Area 51 (in the Rocky Mountain Coal Province) includes all or part of the Shoshone, Bighorn, Greybull, Wind, and Popo Agie River drainage basins - a total of 11,800 sq mi. Area 51 contains more than 18 million tons of strippable bituminous coal and extensive deposits of subbituminous coal, in the arid and semiarid basins. The report represents a summary of results of water resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey, some of which were conducted in cooperation with State and other Federal agencies. More than 30 individual topics are discussed in brief texts that are accompanied by maps, graphs, photographs , and illustrations. Primary topics in the reports are physiography, resources and economy, surface-water quantity and quality, and groundwater. (USGS)
Open-File Report↗
Investigation of possible effects of surface coal mining on hydrology and landscape stability in part of the Powder River structural basin, northeastern Wyoming
The effects of surface coal mining on the surface- and groundwater systems in a 5,400 sq mi area in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, that includes 20 major coal mines were evaluated using three approaches: A surface water model, a landscape-stability analysis, and a groundwater model. A surface water model was developed for the Belle Fourche River basin. The Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran model was used to simulate changes in streamflow and changes in dissolved-solids and sulfate concentrations. Simulated streamflows resulting from less than average rainfall were small, changes in flow from premining to during-mining and postmining conditions were less than 2.5%, and changes in mean dissolved-solids and sulfate concentrations ranged from 1 to 7%. A landscape-stability analysis resulted in regression relations to aid in the reconstruction of reclaimed drainage networks. Hypsometric analyses indicate the larger basins are relatively stable, and statistical data from these basins may be used to design the placement of material within a mined basin to approximate natural, stable landscapes in the area. The attempt to define and simulate the groundwater system in the area using a groundwater-flow model was unsuccessful. The steady-state groundwater-flow model could not be calibrated. The modeling effort failed principally because of insufficient quantity and quality of data to define the spatial distribution of aquifer properties; the hydraulic-head distribution within and between aquifers; and the rates of groundwater recharge and discharge, especially for steady-state conditions. (USGS)
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Hydrology of Area 52, Rocky Mountain coal province, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah
This report is one of a series designed to characterize the hydrology of drainage basins within coal provinces, nationwide. Area 52 (in the Rocky Mountain Coal Province) includes the Green River Basin upstream from the Yampa River, and the Bear River upstream from the Bear Lake - a total of 23,870 sq mi. Area 52 contains over 3 billion tons of strippable coal, most of which is located in the arid and semiarid plains. The report represents a summary of results of the water resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey, carried out in cooperation with State and other Federal agencies. More than 40 individual topics are discussed in a brief text that is accompanied by maps, graphs, photographs, and other illustrations. Primary topics in the report are: general features, resources and economy, surface-water quantity and quality, and groundwater. (USGS)
Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming↗
Hydrology of Salt Wells Creek — A plains stream in southwestern Wyoming
Development of energy minerals in plains areas of Wyoming is expanding rapidly. Such development may affect water resources and hydrologic relations of the plains; however, little information exists concerning hydrologic processes for these areas. This report summarizes results of a hydrologic study made during 1975-78 of Salt Wells creek, a drainage area of about 500 square miles located southeast of Rock Springs, Wyoming. The area is typical of arid and semiarid plains areas in southwestern Wyoming where mineral development is occurring. Salt Wells Creek is predominately an intermittent stream. Numerous springs in the headwaters cause small perennial flows in some upstream tributaries, but evaporation, freezeup, and seepage deplete these flows so that the middle and lower reaches of the main channel have only intermittent flows. The intermittent nature of streamflow affects water quality. It was observed that a flushing of dissolved solids and suspended sediment occurs during the first flows of a runoff event. A striking feature of the stream is its deeply incised channel. The downcutting is attributed to the cummulative effects of: (1) a change in the relative climate, amounts of annual precipitation occurring as rain and snow, (2) change in base level due to downstream channelization, and (3) changes in land use. Because of the incision, erosion is now expanding to include intervening tributaries.
Wyoming↗
Streamflows and channels of the Green River basin, Wyoming
Width, depth, cross-sectional area, and velocity of streamflow were depicted for 51 gaged sites in or near the Green River basin of Wyoming by summarizing data obtained from current-meter discharge measurements. Using these at-a-station relations as a base, regional relations were then developed that characterize hydraulic features of streams throughout the study area. Channel size is an indication of flow magnitude. High flows affect channel formation, and the annual peak-flow array is a representation of these flows. The geometric mean of this array is a viable statistical index of channel-forming flows because it represents the relative magnitude of high flows at a site. Bankfull discharge is a physical index of flows dominating channel formation. The magnitude of the geometric mean approximately equates to bankfull discharge, on the average. Relations depicting hydraulic characteristics of a discharge equal to the geometric mean of annual peak flows may, therefore, be considered to be generally representative of channel conditions existing during bankfull discharge. The relations have application for predicting channel response to developments that would alter streamflow. (USGS)
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Traveltime, unit-concentration, longitudinal-dispersion, and reaeration characteristics of upstream reaches of the Yampa and Little Snake Rivers, Colorado and Wyoming
Measurements were made along a 58-mile reach of the Yampa River in Colorado and a 77-mile reach of the Little Snake River in Colorado and Wyoming to determine traveltime, unit-concentration , and longitudinal-dispersion characteristics. Two traveltime, unit-concentration, and dispersion analyses were made along the Yampa River when its average streamflow was approximately 100 and 3,400 cu ft/s; three traveltime, unit-concentration, and dispersion analyses were made along the Little Snake River when its average streamfow was approximately 200, 600, and 1,600 cu ft/s. Reaeration coefficients were determined only for the Yampa River, when its average streamflow was approximately 100 cu ft/s. Traveltime and unit-concentration simulations were made using a mathematical model. Data collected for the Little Snake River when the average streamflow was approximately 600 cu ft/s were used as a check of model-simulation accuracy. Traveltime simulations compared to within 5%, and unit-concentration simulations were within 30 to 40% of the measured flow data. Longitudinal-dispersion coefficients ranged from 400 to 6,050 sq ft/s for the two streams. Reaeration coefficients for the Yampa River, adjusted to 20 degrees celsius, ranged from 6.04 to 33.4 per day. Two semi-empirical equations gave reaeration coefficients in best agreement with measured reaeration coefficients. Absolute errors of estimate for these equations were 11.8 and 17.3%. (USGS)
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
An analysis of stream temperatures, Green River Basin, Wyoming
A method for estimating temperatures of streams in the Green River basin, Wyoming, utilizes a regional model for estimating mean daily temperatures of streams at unmeasured sites. The regional model was developed by describing annual temperature patterns at 43 measured sites and by applying the harmonic function T = M + A -sin (0.0172 t + C)- where: T is mean daily temperature; M, A, and C are harmonic coefficients calculated from data for each stream-temperature station; and t is the day of the water year. Application of the equation for estimating temperatures at unmeasured sites requires regionalized estimates of M, A, and C. Regional estimates were developed with the aid of multiple-regression techniques, whereby the calculated harmonic coefficients were regressed against physical and climatic characteristics of the stream-temperature stations. Stream elevation was a significant factor affecting water temperature. Analysis of areal and temporal variations in temperature showed that springs, irrigation return flows, and reservoir storage were affecting reaches of several major streams. (Woodard-USGS)
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Water resources of the Bighorn basin, northwestern Wyoming
This 2-sheet map report includes the part of the Bighorn Basin and adjacent mountains in northwestern Wyoming. Water-bearing properties of the geologic units are summarized. The hydrogeologic map illustrates the distribution of wells in the different units and gives basic data on the yields of wells, depth of wells, depth to water, and dissolved solids and conductance of the water. Aquifers capable of yielding more than 1,000 gpm (gallons per minute) underlie the area everywhere, except in the mountains on the periphery of the basin. In 1970, approximately 29,500 of the 40,475 people living in the Bighorn Basin were served by municipal water supplies. The municipal supply for about 6,300 of these people was from ground water. The natural flows of streams in the Bighorn Basin differ greatly due to a wide range in the meteorologic, topographic, and geologic conditions of the basin. The station locations and the average discharge per square mile are shown on the map and give an indication of the geographic variation of basin yields. The maximum instantaneous discharge that has occurred at each station during its period of record is shown. Most of the runoff in the basin is from snowmelt in the mountains.
Wyoming↗
A plan for study of water and its relation to economic development in the Green River and Great Divide basins in Wyoming
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Open-File Report↗
Techniques for estimating flow characteristics of Wyoming streams
This report presents relations for estimating peak flows and mean annual flow characteristics are: (1) The Channel-geometry method, whereby flow characteristics are related to channel dimensions; and (2) the basin-characteristics method, whereby flow characteristics are related to physiographic and climatic features of the drainage basin. Development of the channel-geometry method showed channel width to be the most significant channel dimension for estimating flow characteristics. Use of this method requires a field measurement of channel width. Development of the basin-characteristics method showed drainage-area size to be the most significant basin feature for estimating streamflow. In the mountainous areas, basin elevation also affect streamflow. Because these basin features can be determined from maps, this method does not require a visit to the site. (Woodard-USGS)
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗