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Snake/Salt Basin Advisory Group
Meeting Record
Alta, WY
June 12, 2002
Welcome
Facilitators Cathy Lujan and Sherri Gregory-Schreiner opened the meeting at 6:00 p.m. at
the Grand Targhee Resort near Alta. Each person in attendance was given the chance to
introduce himself or herself. Following the introductions, the agenda for the meeting was
reviewed. There were approximately 30 people in attendance.
The following schedule was agreed upon for the next three Snake/Salt BAG meetings:
-
- Wednesday, August 14, 2002, 6 p.m. – Moran (Jackson Lake Lodge)
- Wednesday, October 9, 2002, 6 p.m. – Alpine
- Wednesday, December 18, 2002, 6 p.m. – Jackson
Basin Planning Update – Barry Lawrence, WWDC
Barry Lawrence, WWDC River Basin Planner, distributed copies of past presentations to
be added to the basin advisory group reference notebook. Barry then updated the group
on the status of the planning processes for the Wind/Bighorn, Powder/Tongue, Northeast,
Bear and Green River Basins. He detailed the activities in each, as well as the invited
BAG speakers, and consultant work in progress (if applicable). He then invited
interested individuals to attend any or all of the BAG meetings in the other basins. It was
noted that the Wind-Bighorn BAG met the day before, and had a tour of Sinks Canyon.
Water Rights Update – Chace Tavelli, State Engineer’s Office
Chace Tavelli, with the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, discussed changes in water
right search procedures at his agency. Chace noted that requests for searches have
increased dramatically in the past few years, as have requests for new permits. SEO has
determined that their priority should be permitting, as others can conduct water right
searches. As a result, the State Engineer’s Office will dramatically reduce the manpower
assigned to water right searches as of September 1, and anticipate that most searches will
be conducted by individuals or by paid contractors. Computer terminals will be set up at
the State Engineer’s Office to facilitate searches by the public, and training will be
offered on how to conduct searches. Surface water right information will likely be
available online at some point, however the complexity of the data indicates it will be in
the distant future.
Consultant Update / Future Water Use Investigation - Sunrise Engineering
Evan Simpson, with Sunrise Engineering, presented information regarding future water
use opportunities in the basin. He discussed the role of the basin advisory group in
providing input in the establishment of a list of future water use opportunities. These
future uses could serve many purposes, such as rehabilitation of existing facilities,
storage, expansion for future demands, or enhancements to quality of life or the
environment. Examples of future water uses were given from other completed basin
plans in Wyoming. Hypothetical ideas for the Snake/Salt Basin were also presented to
help promote the thought process among the BAG members. Evan explained that the list
of possible projects would be evaluated to determine the feasibility of each project. This
evaluation would include constraints due to legal, environmental, social, political, and
financial reasons. The BAG members were urged to think about future water use
possibilities in the coming months.
Surface Water Modeling – Linda Williams, Boyle Engineering
Linda Williams discussed the progress of the surface water model for the Snake/Salt
Basin. The model is part of the determination of available surface and ground water. She
stated that a model was a tool for simulating events that have already occurred, and that
there were various types of models that could be used. As part of the basin planning
process, it was determined that a spreadsheet model analyzing mean, wet, and dry years
would be used, similar to the other basin plans in the State.
Linda indicated that a model serves many purposes. The results can validate the basin
water use profile that has been compiled for the plan. It also helps develop an
understanding of the system, and serves as a tool to estimate available water and potential
uses. It was noted that the model would also serve as a stepping stone to future, more
sophisticated models that could be used to assess alternatives. Currently, data have been
collected regarding current and past water uses and cover topics such as agricultural,
municipal, industrial, and reservoir uses. A study period has been selected based upon
available records, and indicator gages have been identified to determine the years to be
considered wet, dry, and average for the basin plan. Estimation methods have been used
to fill in missing data. Linda stated that they are currently working to estimate flows in
tributaries and diversions that have not been gaged. Node diagrams were presented,
showing a schematic of the Snake and Salt River Basins. The model uses these diagrams
to account for the water by having inflows and diversions according to the layout on the
ground. Input from the BAG members was requested on the node diagrams, as well as
the model in general.
Ground Water Resources of the Basin – Bern Hinckley, Hinckley Consulting
Bern Hinckley discussed the hydrogeology of the basin, as well as the hydrologic cycle.
He stated that annual precipitation in the basin ranges from 16 to 60 inches per year.
Previous studies were discussed, and various maps were shown indicating geology in the
basin and how that affects water availability. Visuals were used to present data regarding
wells in the basin, covering topics such as well permits, density, depths, yields, and
trends in the number of wells. The trends showed a significant increase in the number of
wells in the last ten to twenty years. Bern indicated that wells were being drilled deeper,
which he attributed to an increased margin of safety, not a drop in the water table.
Recharge rates and depths to ground water were also discussed. Past WWDC projects in
the basin were reviewed, as was information from the Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality regarding water quality. Bern noted that the data indicated that
there have been few spills in the basin. Possible sources of groundwater contamination
include septic systems, agricultural pollutants, as well as industrial spills.
Roxanna Decree & Local Issues – Jim Wilson, Wyoming State Engineer’s Office
Jim Wilson serves as the Hydrographer/Commissioner in Alta for the State Engineer’s
Office. He discussed issues regarding surface water on the west side of the Tetons,
which flows into Idaho toward the Teton River. The Roxanna Decree was issued in 1941
regarding flows on Teton Creek and South Leigh Creek. According to the decree,
Wyoming can have unlimited use of the water until the flow is down to 100 cfs. At that
point, the water is shared with Idaho. Jim measures Teton Creek in the administration of
the decree. Jim noted that this year, flow rates have ranged from a high of over 900 cfs to
a low of 9.4 cfs. He indicated that last year the gage reported a short-term flow of 1600
cfs, however he believed that unusual circumstances created that high flow. There was
also a brief discussion of a situation where a Wyoming water right exists for a diversion
in Wyoming, yet the land irrigated by this water is actually in Idaho.
Teton County, Idaho Growth – Allen Wilder, City of Driggs, Idaho
Allen Wilder discussed growth issues that were currently affecting the Teton Valley. He
indicated that the City of Driggs has seen a 52% increase in water service connections
since 1996, and that the population of the city is approximately 2,000 people. In order to
have adequate supply for future needs, Driggs is currently working on a spring
redevelopment project to increase the capacity of one of their water sources. This spring
is actually located in Wyoming. They anticipate the capacity of this spring to double
from approximately 350 gpm to over 700 gpm. Current peak demands on the city water
supply are approximately 1,600 gpm, however the city has potential sources that could
supply approximately 3,900 gpm. Allen stated that expectations are for 14 new
subdivisions this year in the Driggs and Victor, Idaho area, which represents about 700
new lots. He also stated that some wells in the area have been going dry, although the
municipal wells have not been affected.
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
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