Wyoming State Water Plan, Wyoming Water Development Office
Rafting on Snake River Lake Marie, Snowy Mountains Wyoming Wind River Range picture

Bear River Basin Water Plan
Technical Memoranda

SUBJECT: Appendix D
Key Structures and Diversions
COOPER DITCH DIVERSION

PREPARED BY: Bear River Basin Planning Team

DATE: August 7, 2000










Diversion Description: The Cooper Ditch headgate consists of a 44-inch rectangular slide gate 
set in a concrete headwall.  The river is diverted using wood planks supported on vertical 
steel pipe piling driven into the river.



Cooper Ditch headgate structure





Diversion Location: The diversion is located on the Smiths Fork, tributary to the Bear River.  
The Diversion is regulated as part of the Central Division of the Bear River Compact. See 
location map hereafter.

					

Latitude  	N   42° 09' 37.5"	

Longitude     	W 110° 53'  30.1"





Conveyance Description: Open channel canal, approximately 15,840 feet in length.1



Direct Flow Water Rights:2





Priority Date 
Permit 
Number		
Permitted Use 
Permitted 
Acres		 
Flow 
(CFS)		
Cumulative 
(CFS)		 
Comments


08-27-1892 
330
Irrigation, Storage 
206
2.94 
2.94 



01-31-1900 
578E
Irrigation 
135
1.92 
4.86 



09-23-1907 
1844E
Irrigation 
25
0.35 
5.21 



09-05-1911 
2556E
Irrigation, Domestic, Storage 
60
0.86 
6.07 







Associated Storage Rights:	None	


Irrigation Practices:  Land is flood irrigated.3 






click to enlarge



 

Estimated Diversion Efficiency: 



Calculated Diversion Efficiency = Conveyance Efficiency X Application Efficiency:





Conveyance Efficiency: 65%


Application Efficiency: 55%


Overall Diversion Efficiency: 36%








Conveyance efficiency is estimated by total length of main canal. Application efficiency 
for flood irrigation and sprinkler irrigation is estimated at 55% and 85% respectively.





Crop Types / Consumptive Use:  Water is used entirely to irrigate meadow grasses, primarily 
Timothy, Meadow Foxtail, etc.3


Return Flows:  Return flow is primarily captured by the Covey Canal.




The following return flow pattern was adopted for modeling in this study are as follows: 

	
		Month
      (after initial Diversion)	 Percent of Return
		0			70%
		1			20%
		2			10%
                3                        0%
                                       100%
		



	
	
	
References:

    

  1. 	USDA -Soil Conservation Service Economic Research Service-Forest Service in Cooperation 
with the States of Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Irrigation Conveyance Systems, Working Paper for 
the Bear River Basin Type IV Study, Idaho-Utah-Wyoming, April 1976

    

  2. 	Water rights summary obtained from State Engineer Interstate Reglist - revised April 14, 
1999

    

  3. 	Irrigation practices based on field investigation and interview with Mr. Kevin Wilde, 
Hydrographer / Commissioner -  November 30, 1999.

    

  4. 	State of Utah Natural Resources, Water Budget Studies - Utah, Bear River Study Area, 
September 1994.






Monthly Diversion Records

Cooper (on Smith's Fork)







YEAR
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER


Total of Daily Ave for Month
Average
CFS		
Monthly Total
Ac-Ft		
Total of Daily Ave for Month
Average
CFS		
Monthly Total
Ac-Ft		
Total of Daily Ave for Month
Average
CFS		
Monthly Total
Ac-Ft		
Total of Daily Ave for Month
Average
CFS		
Monthly Total
Ac-Ft		
Total of Daily Ave for Month
Average
CFS		
Monthly Total
Ac-Ft


1970
0
0.0
0.0
328
10.9
650.6
74
2.4
146.8
20
0.6
39.7
0
0.0
0.0


1971
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1972
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
353
11.4
700.2
93
3.0
184.5
13
0.4
25.8


1973
0
0.0
0.0
47
1.6
93.2
1
0.0
2.0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1974
0
0.0
0.0
195
6.5
386.8
539
17.4
1069.1
21
0.7
41.7
12
0.4
23.8


1975
0
0.0
0.0
282
9.4
559.3
567
18.3
1124.6
52
1.7
103.1
0
0.0
0.0


1976
0
0.0
0.0
256
8.5
507.8
181
5.8
359.0
103
3.3
204.3
95
3.2
188.4


1977
105
3.4
208.3
22
0.7
43.6
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1978
124
4.0
246.0
93
3.1
184.5
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1979
158
5.1
313.4
112
3.7
222.1
104
3.4
206.3
32
1.0
63.5
0
0.0
0.0


1980
170
5.5
337.2
159
5.3
315.4
56
1.8
111.1
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1981
190
6.1
376.9
249
8.3
493.9
81
2.6
160.7
4
0.1
7.9
0
0.0
0.0


1982
15
0.5
29.8
52
1.7
103.1
182
5.9
361.0
16
0.5
31.7
71
2.4
140.8


1983
42
1.4
83.3
0
0.0
0.0
44
1.4
87.3
7
0.2
13.9
0
0.0
0.0


1984
555
17.9
1100.8
345
11.5
684.3
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1985
0
0.0
0.0
56
1.9
111.1
0
0.0
0.0
7
0.2
13.9
0
0.0
0.0


1986
205
6.6
406.6
1225
40.8
2429.8
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1987
304
9.8
603.0
93
3.1
184.5
94
3.0
186.4
93
3.0
184.5
0
0.0
0.0


1988
233
7.5
462.1
662
22.1
1313.1
527
17.0
1045.3
180
5.8
357.0
0
0.0
0.0


1989
196
6.3
388.8
102
3.4
202.3
37
1.2
73.4
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1990
162
5.2
321.3
156
5.2
309.4
106
3.4
210.2
106
3.4
210.2
0
0.0
0.0


1991
263
8.5
521.7
270
9.0
535.5
286
9.2
567.3
191
6.2
378.8
0
0.0
0.0


1992
93
3.0
184.5
120
4.0
238.0
96
3.1
190.4
27
0.9
53.6
0
0.0
0.0


1993
196
6.3
388.8
618
20.6
1225.8
112
3.6
222.1
17
0.5
33.7
9
0.3
17.9


1994
263
8.5
521.7
326
10.9
646.6
26
0.8
51.6
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1995
276
8.9
547.4
629
21.0
1247.6
122
3.9
242.0
32
1.0
63.5
0
0.0
0.0


1996
146
4.7
289.6
536
17.9
1063.1
171
5.5
339.2
58
1.9
115.0
45
1.5
89.3


1997
209.9
6.8
416.3
391.5
13.1
776.5
30.1
1.0
59.7
10.3
0.3
20.4
7.3
0.2
14.5


1998
561.5
18.1
1113.7
494
16.5
979.8
9.6
0.3
19.0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0





AVERAGES


5.0
305.6


9.0
534.8


4.2
259.8


1.2
73.1


0.3
17.3













To the Bear River Basin Water Plan