Wyoming State Water Plan - Northeastern Wyoming Rivers (Cheyenne, Belle Fourche, Little Missouri, and Niobrara) Rivers: Issues

Northeastern Wyoming Rivers (Cheyenne, Belle Fourche, Little Missouri, and Niobrara Rivers) Basins

Current Issues:

Issues in this Basin differ from those in other parts of the State because most of the water supply comes from spring rain instead of the snowpack accumulation and runoff which supplies other areas of the state. Groundwater from aquifers such as the Madison, Fort Union, Minnelusa and Lance-Foxhills is a significant portion of the water supply for this basin. Consequently, the impacts of coal mining and coalbed methane development must be carefully monitored to protect groundwater supplies. With funding from the Water Development Commission, the State Engineer's Office (SEO) is conducting depletion assessments of the Madison and Fort Union aquifers. The SEO is also participating with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation in the Black Hills Hydrology Study of aquifer conditions in Wyoming and South Dakota.

During the recent drought years, downstream irrigation demand depleted storage in Keyhole Reservoir on the Belle Fourche River. Recreationalists in the area approached the Governor's Office requesting a solution to low water levels. Negotiations continue, but no final agreement has been reached.

The lack of water-based recreational opportunities in this Basin is also a result of its hydrological uniqueness. Faced with the same growing demands for fishing and boating opportunities as other areas, opportunities to expand lake and stream fisheries should be evaluated. The impacts of coalbed methane development on regional aquifers, and the use of water extracted during this process, are issues that should be addressed.

Compact Allocations:

The Belle Fourche River compact apportions the flow at the state line 10% to Wyoming and 90% to South Dakota. All rights prior to the date of the Compact are recognized. The Upper Niobrara River Compact signed by Wyoming and Nebraska in 1962 places some restrictions upon reservoir supply and direct flow water rights in Wyoming, and provides for groundwater studies to be completed if surface waters are impacted by groundwater development. A compact on the Cheyenne River was negotiated between Wyoming and South Dakota water officials, but was never ratified by the Wyoming Legislature.

Future Concerns:

Because of limited surface water supplies, future development will be focused upon groundwater. During the energy boom of the late 1970's, plans to bring water from the Yellowstone River basin into the coal-producing areas near Gillette were considered. None of these large-scale diversions materialized, and none are being seriously considered at this time. As water demands in Rapid City, South Dakota increase, the area will evaluate upstream sources. Wyoming and South Dakota have discussed an interstate groundwater compact, but no serious negotiations have occurred.

The Seven Basins of the Water Plan
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