Excerpt from the contract with Forsgren & Associates for the State Water Plan - Bear River Basin:

D. SCOPE OF SERVICES

Task 1. Project Meetings

The Consultant shall attend Basin Advisory Group Meetings. It is expected that there will be one meeting per month for the first three months during the contract execution. Thereafter, the meetings will be approximately every other month during the contract period or whenever the Consultant has significant progress to report or requires information from the Basin Advisory Group. WWDC will arrange meeting places, provide public notification, and prepare agendas and meeting minutes. The Consultant shall be prepared to give a short presentation on current work progress at each meeting and to respond to comments from those in attendance.

Project meetings shall be conducted as necessary for the coordination of project activities and for informing the WWDC of project progress. The Consultant shall prepare meeting minutes. Several informal meetings with the WWDC will be necessary during the course of the study. The Consultant shall assume twelve meetings will be held. Due to the number of agencies, entities, and individuals with a stake in the outcome, the Consultant shall be in regular contact with the WWDC Water Plan Project Manager, and will coordinate on a regular basis with the Consultant under contract with WWDC to prepare the Green River Basin Plan. This coordination is necessary to promote consistency in the basin planning process and compatibility of basin planning products.

Task 2. Basin Water Use Profile

The Consultant shall inventory current consumptive and non-consumptive surface water and groundwater use within the basin of interest. Water use will be divided into the following categories:

A. Agriculture
B. Municipal
C. Industrial
D. Recreational
E. Environmental
F. Water Use from Storage

The Consultant shall identify and document previous water use studies and planning documents and, if applicable, incorporate results in this task.

Concurrent with developing the Basin Water Use Profile, the Consultant shall collect information regarding both actual and perceived current water problems within the basin. The Consultant shall use the Basin Advisory Group (BAG) as a resource in identifying water concerns. The Consultant shall prepare a technical memorandum outlining water-related concerns within the basin, including location and approximate magnitude of current water shortages and water quality issues. Water quality issues should include sediment, total dissolved solids and individual constituents, and point source discharges.

Base Topographic Data

The Consultant shall develop a 1:24,000 scale digital map based on USGS Quadrangle Mapping for the basin. These base maps should include hydrography, roads, towns, and other physical features. The individual GIS layers in base maps shall be used to provide context, when appropriate, to other planning product layers as well as a source for general information.

Scale and Accuracy of GIS Data

The Consultant shall use and prepare the appropriate scale GIS data as specified in the Scope of Service and under the direction of the project manager. The Consultant shall only represent map scale as intended by the creators of any specific GIS coverage. (For example, 1:100,000 scale GIS data should be noted as such when represented in association with 1:24,000 scale data.) GIS layers created as part of this scope shall be at a 1:24,000 scale. Basin planning products compiled from existing GIS data sources for this scope shall use the largest scale data available. Refer to Boyle report Appendix B "Description of Data Themes" and table #2 "Planning Process Data".

The Consultant should identify, record and use the most current data available to produce planning products and shall adhere to USGS National Mapping Accuracy Standards when developing GIS planning products. The Consultant shall record and provide metadata on all GIS products. All metadata will be FGDC compliant. All GIS deliverables will be provided as Arc- Info export files and as Arc-View Shape Files.

In general, all data generated during the planning process shall be of sufficient detail, documentation and accuracy to meet industry standards. Data standards may be defined in greater specificity in the Consultant contract.

2A. Agricultural Use

The Consultant shall estimate the agricultural use within the basin by determining current irrigated acreage, estimating crop types, and estimating crop consumptive use. In addition, the Consultant shall obtain available diversion records and prepare descriptions of large irrigation operations.

1. Determine Irrigated Acreage

The Consultant shall use the basin wide mapping of irrigated lands prepared for WWDC during the 1998 feasibility study. These coverages shall be imposed on a 1:24,000 scale digital USGS Quadrangle Map based in ArcInfo consistent with the Wyoming Geographic Information Advisory Council (WGIAC) GIS Hardware and Software Standards. This base mapping shall include topography, hydrography, roads, towns, and other physical features in the basin.

2. Estimate Crop Types

Water requirements vary by crop type; therefore, it is necessary to estimate the types of crops under irrigation. The Consultant shall determine cropping patterns using Wyoming Agricultural Statistics and National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) data for irrigated lands published yearly by county. The local water commissioner and irrigation district officials will be contacted to peruse the resultant crop types, to provide more detailed information on cropping patterns, and to comment on yearly variance in crop types.

3. Estimate Crop Consumptive Use

Based on the irrigated acres of each crop type, water requirements can be estimated. The Consultant shall use consumptive use values presented in WWRC Publication #92 - 06, "Consumptive Use and Consumptive Irrigation Requirements in Wyoming", or more recent documents as approved by the WWDC. In addition to average monthly consumptive use, dry year and wet year monthly consumptive use values will be determined. Dry and wet year crop consumptive use will be determined from the maximum and minimum values reported in WWRC publication #92-06.

Water-short systems may not be able to satisfy consumptive use requirements during average or dry years. Therefore, a realistic value of actual water use, or supply-limited consumptive use, must be estimated. Based on previous water use studies, and information from the local water commissioner, the Consultant shall estimate the water supply-limited consumptive use for water-short systems. Estimated supply-limited consumptive use will replace calculated consumptive use for the associated acres.

4. Determine Source of Supply

The Consultant shall review the irrigated lands mapping and determine the source of supply, including groundwater, surface water source, and storage. Defining the agricultural use in a basin does not require that lands irrigated by surface water be associated with their permitted water rights. In addition, many of the surface water rights filed with the State Engineer's Office (SEO) are not currently in use. The SEO maintains a groundwater database containing up-to-date groundwater permits that is considered an accurate representation of current well locations and uses. The Consultant shall query the groundwater database for groundwater permits issued for agricultural use. Monitor well permits, enlargement permits, and canceled or abandoned permits should be excluded. The Consultant shall catalog all active wells with mean flow rates equal to or greater than 100 gallons per minute. The locations of agricultural wells will be extracted from the SEO database and incorporated onto a GIS layer at 1:24,000 scale. Lands irrigated under the groundwater permits will be identified. The Consultant shall assume that consumptive use requirements not met by adjudicated groundwater wells are met by surface water sources, including storage. The locations of agricultural wells will be extracted from the SEO database and incorporated onto a GIS layer at 1:24,000 scale. Lands irrigated under the groundwater permits will be identified. The Consultant shall assume that consumptive use requirements not met by adjudicated groundwater wells are met by surface water sources, including storage.

The Consultant shall provide for water right attribution for all water rights within the basin excluding only stock permits. Due to the controversial nature of water right attribution, the Consultant shall not proceed with this portion of Task 2A4 until specific notice to proceed on water right attribution is provided by WWDC.

• Obtain copies of maps that identify polygons of irrigated lands.
  
• Compare polygons of irrigated lands to records of the State Engineer for both surface and ground water.
  
• Abstract water right information (permit number, priority, amount, use, type, etc.) and assign polygon an attribute number.
  
• Associate polygon attribute numbers with water right information and develop a database.
  
• Submit draft mapping to appropriate State Engineer personnel for review and comment.

5. Obtain Diversion Records and Detail Operations

The Consultant shall compile available diversion records for diversions with headgate capacity greater than 10 cfs from the Board of Control Hydrographers' Annual Reports and from each irrigation district. These diversion records shall be associated with the appropriate irrigated acreage. The Consultant shall prepare operating information memorandums for ditches with greater than 10 cfs capacity, and for each irrigation district. Each memorandum should include a brief history, a general description of the system, water rights and structure operations, additional supplies from storage, general location and distribution of return flows, and a physical description. These memorandums should give enough detail to assist in any level of flow modeling, from simple water budgets to detailed computer simulation models.

Data on agricultural use will be compiled and presented in tabular, graphical, and spatial forms. Example of data presentation include:

• A table listing irrigated land by major tributary basin with an accompanying bar- chart
  
• A pie-chart summary of crop distribution
  
• A table listing crop distribution acreage with an accompanying bar-chart
  
• A table listing monthly agricultural water use for average, wet, and dry years
  
• A GIS data layer of irrigated lands
  
• A GIS data layer showing location and permit data for agricultural groundwater wells.
  
• A breakdown of groundwater and surface water supplied for irrigation.

2B. Municipal and Domestic Use

During the summer of 1997, the WWDC conducted a survey of known municipal and non-municipal community public water systems in Wyoming. The Consultant shall use the State of Wyoming 1998 Water System Survey Report to determine the municipal and rural domestic water supplies/uses within each basin. Information regarding the average and peak day use, as well as the surface source of water and/or the number of supply wells, is published in this document.

The Consultant shall identify groundwater wells permitted for municipal use from the SEO and place the information on a GIS data layer. Monitor well permits, enlargement permits, and canceled or abandoned permits should be excluded. The Consultant shall catalog all active wells with mean flow rates equal to or greater than 100 gallons per minute. The Consultant shall use the WWDC Water System Survey to determine the average monthly diversion and/or pumping, additional supplies from reservoirs, the estimated consumptive use, the river location of treated return flows, and variance in average use during dry and wet years for their municipality. The Consultant shall verify data by direct contact with individual system administrators if necessary. If these data are unavailable, the average day use from the Water System Survey will be used and the consumptive use will be estimated to be forty-five percent (45%). This value is used by the WWDC when estimating municipal consumptive use in spreadsheet models and is considered acceptable.

The Consultant shall identify groundwater wells permitted for domestic use. These wells shall be aggregated into groups of approximately 1 acre-foot per year and the information placed on a GIS data layer at a representative location.

Data on municipal and domestic use will be compiled and presented in tabular, graphical, and spatial forms. Example of data presentation include:

• A breakdown of groundwater and surface water supplied for public water systems
  
• A table listing average monthly consumptive municipal water use
  
• A table summarizing permitted domestic use
  
• A GIS data layer showing location of municipal water use within the basin
  
• A GIS data layer showing location and permit data for municipal groundwater wells and aggregated domestic wells

Determining surface water rights for municipalities is not necessary for defining the municipal water use within a basin, therefore is not included in this scope.

2C. Industrial Use

In many areas of Wyoming, industrial water use is a significant component of the overall basin water use. The Consultant shall identify industrial users not supplied through municipal systems through discussions with local water commissioners and county assessors. Groundwater wells permitted for industrial and miscellaneous use will be identified from the SEO and shown on a GIS data layer. Monitor well permits, enlargement permits, and canceled or abandoned permits should be excluded. The Consultant shall catalog all active wells with mean flow rates equal to or greater than 100 gallons per minute. The Consultant shall survey identified users to determine their average monthly diversion and/or pumping, and their resulting consumptive use. If these data are unavailable, the maximum permitted production rate will be assumed for groundwater wells, and the consumptive use will be estimated based on the average consumptive use for the type of industry.

Data on industrial use will be compiled and presented in tabular, graphical, and spatial forms. Example of data presentation include:

• A breakdown of groundwater and surface water supplied for industrial use
  
• A table listing average monthly industrial water use
  
• A GIS data layer showing location of industrial water use within the basin
  
• A GIS data layer showing location and permit data for industrial groundwater wells

Determining and cataloging surface water rights for industrial use is not necessary for defining the industrial water use within a basin, therefore is not included in this task.

2D. Recreational Use

The Consultant shall compile readily available data and mapping on public campgrounds, marinas, state and national parks, and historic areas and monuments in the basin as an indicator of water-related recreational activity. The Consultant shall hold discussions with the Wyoming Business Council, the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Historic Sites, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and rafting, boating and fishing interests regarding economic information on recreation. The Consultant shall prepare a memorandum that describes qualitatively the water-related recreational activities within the basin and brackets the optimum reservoir levels and streamflows that generate maximum use. Existing GIS mapping showing stream classification and other recreational information will be identified and referenced, or included as appropriate in the basin plan.

2E. Environmental Use

Environmental water use, including minimum reservoir pools and releases, and instream bypass requirements to enhance fisheries and wildlife habitat, is important in defining the overall water use within a basin. The Consultant shall compile minimum reservoir releases and instream bypasses and show their location on a GIS map layer. Existing GIS mapping showing wetlands, seasonal and big game habitat, and other environmental information will be identified and referenced, or included in the basin plans. The Consultant shall survey local environmental interests for input. The Consultant shall prepare a memorandum that describes qualitatively the water-related environmental uses and benefits within the basin and brackets the optimum streamflows and/or reservoir levels for these benefits.

2F. Water Use from Storage

Storage of supplemental water for municipal, industrial, and late-season agricultural use is often an important component of basin water use in Wyoming. The Consultant shall identify all reservoirs permitted for other than stock uses from the State Engineers' Office records. Information to be obtained for each reservoir include: permitted storage rights, historical end-of-month reservoir contents, area-capacity tables, evaporation rates, spillway and outlet capacity, project water right owners, average monthly release rates, and operational criteria including flood forecasting and hydropower generation. Diversions served by the reservoir will be identified and shown on a GIS layer. An operation memorandum will be prepared for each reservoir, again in sufficient detail for use in flow modeling tasks.

Data on reservoir storage will be compiled and presented in tabular form. Example of data presentation include:

• A table listing average monthly storage for reservoirs
  
• A table listing estimated average monthly evaporation for reservoirs

Tabular, Graphical, Spatial Data

• Irrigated acreage
  
• Crop distribution
  
• Average, wet, and dry year monthly agricultural use
  
• Available agricultural diversion records
  
• Agricultural groundwater well information
  
• Reservoir locations
  
• Average monthly municipal water use, including groundwater
  
• Average monthly industrial water use, including groundwater
  
• Inventory of all irrigated lands in the Bear River Basin with associated water right information for both surface and ground water.

Memoranda

• Bibliography of previous water use studies
  
• Current water shortages and other concerns
  
• Diversion operations
  
• Reservoir operations
  
• Recreational water use
  
• Environmental water use

The Consultant shall develop spreadsheet modeling tools to determine streamflow in the basin during average, wet, and dry years, under current operating conditions. This tool will be used to verify the water use determined in Task 2, to determine additional available flow for future use, and to assess the impacts of future water use opportunities. The modeling shall be documented within the spreadsheet through visible equations, links, and text descriptions of assumptions and data sources. The Consultant shall identify available tributary and non-tributary groundwater supplies.

3A. Surface Water Data Collection and Study Period Selection

Diversion records, reservoir operations and physical parameters, return flow information, and consumptive use estimates, gathered or determined in Task 2, will be required. Additional data to be collected include streamflow records, average annual precipitation mapping, and water sales. A base map will be prepared showing basin hydrography on a GIS layer at 1:24,000 scale. This mapping shall include basin and sub-basin boundaries, stream networks, and major (>500 acre-feet) reservoirs and lakes.

Once the available data have been evaluated, the Consultant will select a study period for use in determining the monthly averages to be used in the model to represent average, wet, and dry years. It is important when modeling a river system that the historic period of interest used in the model simulation reflects the range of conditions experienced in the basin over the long term. The study period should ideally have a prolonged period of drought, a period of high runoff years, as well as periods reflecting "average" conditions. The Consultant shall use the entire selected period of record to determine the average year monthly streamflows. Annual total streamflow values will be ranked and the years with approximately the 20 percent lowest streamflows will be used to determine dry year monthly streamflows. The years with approximately the 20 percent highest streamflows will be used to determine wet year monthly streamflows. The average monthly flows for each period representing average, wet, and dry conditions will be determined from the arithmetic mean of the representative data. Coordination with the Green River Water Plan Consultant will be undertaken at this point to provide consistency n spread sheet model assumptions and output format.

3B. Surface Water Data Synthesis and Spreadsheet Model Development

When performing mean monthly analysis, gaps in available data can often be ignored by simply not using any data for these months or years. If necessary, the Consultant will extend and fill gaps in the available data using appropriate, accepted hydrologic techniques. Data to be synthesized include streamflow, reservoir end-of-month contents, and diversion records. The Consultant shall determine mean monthly flows and reservoir storage values by calculating the arithmetic mean of the available data for each month. Average, dry and, wet year monthly water use determined in the Task 2 will be used. If diversion records were obtained, diversions and return flows will be accounted for, otherwise, consumptive use estimates will be used.

The Consultant shall review the locations of water use and storage identified in Task 2F. Each of these locations will be represented as a node and the stream reaches between each node will be modeled. Typically, only tributaries with diversions are included. Other tributaries may be represented as a node to account for contributing streamflow. In addition, the Consultant shall represent stream gage locations as nodes. If necessary, the linked node representation will be modified to better suit the available data. The Consultant shall provide a schematic of the linked node representation.

The Consultant shall develop virgin flows at each node selected for inclusion in the analysis. If no major single or aggregate diversions or storage facilities exist above a node, historical flows represent virgin flows and no adjustments will be required. Small diversions not identified during Task 2 will be "left in the gage" - they will not be added back in during virgin flow development nor subtracted out during model development. If identified diversions are made upstream of a node, the flows will be adjusted to a virgin condition by adding back diversions, and subtracting out flows that return that month above the node. In addition, the effects of upstream storage facilities will be added or subtracted. If tributaries with substantial diversions are not gaged, factors will be developed to distribute virgin flows seen at downstream gages based on drainage area and precipitation. Historical gains and losses due to groundwater interaction and stream surface evaporation will be estimated during the virgin flow determination process, along with other ungaged inflows, as the difference between gaged flows when all known storage and diversion effects are accounted for.

If agricultural, municipal and industrial diversion records were obtained in Task 2, return flows will be calculated as diversion less consumptive use. Industrial and municipal return flows will be assumed to return to the river during the month of diversion, unless otherwise determined in Task 2. The Consultant shall estimate agricultural return flow timing and location using data derived from existing studies, if available. Based on the information gathered in Task 2, generalized return flow patterns and timing will be estimated and applied as appropriate.

If diversion records are not available, the consumptive use determined in Task 2 will be used directly rather than estimating both diversions and return flows.

The Consultant shall develop three spreadsheets to simulate river flows within the basin for average, wet, and dry year conditions. Average streamflows will be calculated at each node beginning with the virgin flow at the headwater reaches. Diversions will be subtracted from the nodes and return flows added back in at the nodes, or, if no diversion records exist, depletions may simply be subtracted. The simple addition and subtraction will proceed sequentially downstream until the basin mouth is reached. The spreadsheets will take compact or decree restrictions into consideration.

3C. Surface Water Model Calibration

Calibration of each model will be performed by comparing the average simulated flows to average measured flows at key streamflow gages. Likewise, the simulated end-of-month reservoir contents will be compared to average measured end-of-month reservoir contents, where available. If necessary, the Consultant shall review and adjust any assumptions made during Task 2 and Task 3 until modeled and historical streamflows and reservoir contents match reasonably well. The Consultant shall prepare a memorandum that outlines the modeling process including data extension methodologies, modeling assumptions, and calibration results.

3D. Available Surface Water Determination

The Consultant shall execute the spreadsheet model to determine the available flows in the basin for average, wet, and dry year conditions. The Consultant shall prepare a memorandum that describes the results of the three model executions and outlines available flows in tributary and main stem reaches.

3E. Available Groundwater Determination

The Consultant shall obtain existing mapping and other information on groundwater aquifer locations and storage and yield potential. The Consultant shall identify and document previous groundwater studies and planning documents and, if applicable, incorporate information into this task. The Consultant shall prepare a memorandum discussing the potential for additional aquifer storage and development and the potential effects, if any, that development would have on the surface water system.

Task 3. Deliverables

Tabular, Graphic, Spatial Data

• Basin hydrography
  
• Average annual precipitation
  
• Schematic of linked-node representation
  
• Spreadsheet modeling tools
  
• Aquifer locations
  
• Aquifer storage and yield potential

Memoranda

• Bibliography of previous groundwater studies
  
• Modeling process
  
• Model execution and available flows
  
• Aquifer storage and yield potential

Task 4. Demand Projections

4A. Review Socioeconomic, Economic, Demographic and other data sources

• Gather current and recent historical economic and demographic data for the study area.

• Where relevant for subsequent analysis and modeling -- gather data for the State of Wyoming and the U.S. as a whole.

• Examine and evaluate projections of economic and demographic change for the study area, the relevant counties, the State of Wyoming as a whole and, as relevant, for the U.S.

• In particular, examine both the Wyoming Population Forecasts and the Wyoming Economic Forecast Model, available through the State Data Center.

• Gather and evaluate available projections from other sources.

• Develop charts and tables summarizing current economic and demographic conditions in the study area, trends in key economic and demographic measures and key relationships.

4B. Identify Planning Scenarios

• Develop preliminary recommendations for baseline, moderate growth, and high growth planning scenarios.

• Review recommendations for consistency with Bear River economic consultant and resolve or justify differences.

• Recommend three alternative planning scenarios (baseline, moderate and high growth) for approval by the WWDC.

4C. Define Methodology

• Define the methodology for developing water demand projections for the basin.

• Examine and evaluate the appropriateness of alternative economic modeling tools (e.g. input-output models and econometric models).

• Among the methodological issues to be determined in this subtask are:

  • basis for projected changes in basic sector activity and employment,
    
  • technique for linking basic employment to local service employment,
    
  • feasibility of cohort component demographic modeling versus simplified demographic approaches, and
    
  • key assumptions (commuting patterns into and out of the basin, labor force participation rates, etc.).

• Develop preliminary recommendations regarding methodology and assumptions for water demand projections.

• Review recommendations for consistency with Bear River economic consultant and resolve or justify differences.

• Make recommendations regarding methodology and key assumptions to the WWDC, along with a description of the basis for those recommendations.

4D. Construct and Calibrate Economic and Demographic Forecasting Model

• Construct and calibrate economic and demographic forecasting model(s).

• Conduct interviews with local sources as needed to better understand key industries and other economic and demographic aspects of the basin.

• Use the model to produce projections of economic activity and population under each of the three planning scenarios. The projections will incorporate a thirty year horizon.

• Review the economic and demographic projections prior to developing related projections of water demand.

4E. Project Water Demands

• Develop water demand projections under each of the three planning scenarios

• Incorporate water demand coefficients appropriate to each water using sector.

• Incorporate water requirements for recreation and environmental needs.

• Document the water demand projections in a task memorandum.

• Review the water demand projections with the Basin Advisory Group.

4F. Consistency Reviews with Bear River Basin Team

• Prepare for and participate in two Cheyenne meetings to compare methodologies and models developed during the course of study. Present results of Subtasks 4.2 and 4.3 to Bear River contractor.

• Review interim results of Bear River Basin contractor at same Cheyenne meetings.

• Offer and consider suggestions on how to bring two basin studies into consistency, as appropriate. Make changes accordingly.

Tabular, Graphic, Spatial Data

• None

Memoranda

• Planning scenario recommendations
  
• Forecast methodology recommendation
  
• Forecasted agricultural, municipal, industrial, recreational, and environmental demands

The Consultant shall use projected future demands identified in the Task 4, current shortages and needs identified in the Task 2, water availability identified in Task 3, and information generated through the Basin Advisory Group (BAG) meetings as a basis for this task. Both structural and non-structural potential future water use opportunities will be identified to meet current shortages and needs, as well as the Baseline, Moderate, and High levels of projected demand. Both surface water and groundwater sources will be considered. Future water use opportunities will be identified to satisfy projected agricultural, municipal, industrial, recreational, and environmental demands.

5A. Describe Issues Affecting Future Water Use Opportunities

The Consultant shall identify issues that may potentially restrict future water use opportunities in the basin. The issues include, but are not limited to, compact requirements and federal legislation such as the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Consultant shall prepare memorandums that describe potential limitations to future water use due to these issues in clear, concise terms understandable to lay persons.

5B. Define Water Use Components Screening Criteria

The Consultant shall develop evaluation criteria and methods for comparing and ranking alternative structural and non-structural components according to the following factors: water availability, technical, economic, environmental, legal and institutional, public acceptance, water quality, and ability to satisfy multiple demands. Defining the screening criteria prior to developing a long-list helps assure that the criteria are not biased towards any particular future water use opportunity. The criteria will be submitted to the BAG for review and to the WWDC for approval.

5C. Develop Long-list of Future Water Use Opportunities

The Consultant shall compile a list of potential structural and non-structural opportunities to meet current and projected demands. The long-list will include previously proposed projects in the basin, common solutions to water shortages applicable to the basin, and opportunities identified by the BAG. Structural components may include storage reservoirs, conveyance system upgrades, water distribution system enhancements, ground water development, aquifer storage and recovery opportunities, in-basin water transfer components, transmountain diversion components, and conveyance system upgrades. Non-structural components may include overall basin conservation and management, revised reservoir operations, municipal conservation, improved farm efficiencies, water right transfers and exchanges, water banking, and conjunctive use options.

5D. Develop Short-list of Future Water Use Opportunities

The Consultant shall develop a short-list of future water use opportunities for the BAG to review and the WWDC to approve. The Consultant will use the results of the flow modeling spreadsheets to determine mainstem and tributary reaches with flow available for future use. Proposed opportunities that do not satisfy existing shortages or projected demands will be eliminated. Information such as land ownership, wetlands, threatened and endangered species, impaired stream segments, water quality issues, floodplain mapping, and cultural resources will be used to identify fatal flaws likely to restrict permitting of structural projects. Aquifer storage and yield potential will be used to identify fatal flaws associated with ground water development and conjunctive use options. Much of the information used to identify fatal flaws is available in existing GIS format, and should be used as a tool to explain and present results of the short-list development to the BAG.

5E. Apply Screening Criteria to Rank Short-list of Future Water Use Opportunities

The screening criteria approved by WWDC will be used to rank the short-list of future water use opportunities. The Consultant will determine the ranking using all screening factors. A BAG workshop shall be held to allow participation in the screening process. BAG subgroups will be formed to rank opportunities based on one screening criterion. These subgroups will then report back to the entire BAG with their analysis. Differences between the Consultant and BAG rankings will be documented and the rankings will be submitted to the WWDC for approval. The BAG may elect to pursue an alternative methodology for interacting with the Consultant and WWDC in the ranking process.

5F. Water Quality Issues

The Consultant shall identify basin-wide opportunities to enhance or protect water quality, and shall identify on-going watershed management planning by other entities and define opportunities for potential cooperation and coordination among these efforts. State and Federal agencies and other appropriate entities will be contacted to identify areas within the basin where water quality issues are being investigated, including the Department of Environmental Quality, State Engineer's Office, Game and Fish Department, the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts, and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Monitoring locations and areas of concern identified by these sources will be shown on a GIS layer.

Tabular, Graphic, Spatial Data

• Collection of existing GIS layers (cultural resources, endangered species, critical habitat, etc.) to identify fatal flaws
  
• Mapping showing proposed future water use opportunity locations

Memoranda

• Potential limitations to future water use
  
• Screening criteria
  
• Long-list of future water use opportunities
  
• Short-list of future water use opportunities
  
• Opportunities to enhance or protect water quality and cooperation opportunities

Task 6. Basin Advisory Group Discretionary Task

This task holds 15% of the total contract amount in reserve to address issues identified by the Basin Advisory Group. The WWDC and the Consultant shall execute a contract amendment defining the work to be completed under this task.

Task 7. Standards for Basin Water Plans

The Consultant shall assist the Consultant working on the Green River Basin plan in developing a procedures manual that can be used to insure consistency of process and product in future river basin planning efforts conducted by the WWDC. Many of the major tasks to be accomplished in river basins with diverse conditions contain components and protocols that must be consistent from basin to basin to insure compatibility of baseline data. Minimum standards must be developed for the initial basin plans (Green and Bear), and for the remaining basins. The Consultant, working closely with the consulting team for the Green River Basin Plan and with the State Water Planning Team, will develop minimum standards and scopes for conducting these critical tasks. Protocols will be developed for the following products and situations:

• GIS data and meta data products
  
• Hierarchy of data sources when more than one source is available
  
• Method for resolving county-based drop statistics to basin statistics
  
• Methods for conducting irrigated lands inventories and resulting data products
  
• Method for estimating average, wet and dry year use in the spread sheet model
  
• Procedures for determining runoff from ungaged areas
  
• Procedures for representing aggregated diversions with respect to location, demand and consumptive use
  
• Procedures for handling of return flows in hydrologic modeling
  
• Procedures for hydrologic model calibration and presentation of results
  
• Economic analysis and methods for developing projections, including a state wide demand projection framework to be used in future basin plans
  
• Procedures for determining agricultural consumptive use and preparing basin hydrologic models

Task 7. Deliverables

A detailed Procedures Manual describing standard technical specifications for the preparation of WWDC basin water plans. This manual is intended to be used by consultants and state water planning team members performing basin planning in other basins. The manual must be of sufficient detail to provide consistency in the methodologies and work products related to the basin planning efforts.

Task 8. Basin Planning Report

The Consultant shall prepare a Basin Planning Report in draft form for review by the WWDC no later than April 30, 2000. The report shall conform to the following report outline:

A. Executive Summary

B. Basin Water Use Profile

1. Agricultural Use
   
2. Municipal Use
   
3. Industrial Use
   
4. Recreational Use
   
5. Environmental Use
   
6. Water Use from Storage

C. Available Surface Water and Groundwater Determination

1. Surface Water Data Collection and Study Period Selection
   
2. Surface Water Data Synthesis and Spreadsheet Model
   
3. Surface Water Model Calibration
   
4. Available Surface Water Determination
   
5. Available Groundwater Determination

D. Demand Projections

E. Future Water Use Opportunities

1. Issues Affecting Future Water Use
   
2. Screening Criteria
   
3. Ranked Future Water Use Opportunities
   
4. Water Quality Issues

F. Conclusions

The Consultant shall submit thirty (30) stamped and signed copies and one (1) reproducible original of the Final Report incorporating WWDC edits. The Consultant shall submit fifty (50) copies of the Executive Summary, to be no more than ten (10) pages in length. The Final Report and separate Executive Summary shall be submitted no later than October 30, 2000. In addition to the "paper" submittals described above, the Consultant shall also provide the final report and executive summary in a digital format as described in Section C.6.

The Consultant may be asked to participate in public meetings, legislative hearings or WWDC meetings to present findings. The Consultant should budget for two (2) meetings after the submittal of the draft report; one to be held in Cheyenne, the other to be held in the basin of interest.