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
FRANCIS LEE DIVERSION

PREPARED BY: Bear River Basin Planning Team

DATE: February 25, 2002










Diversion Description: The headgate structure consists of a concrete headwall with two 4-foot 
steel slide gates.  


Francis Lee headgate




Diversion Location:	Diversion is located on the Upper Bear in Wyoming downstream of the 
Woodruff Narrows Reservoir as shown in the location ma hereafter.  Irrigated lands 
include Utah and Wyoming.

			

Latitude  	N   41° 31' 19.5"	

Longitude  	W  111° 01'  38.3"






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


-1879 
Terr
Irrigation 
154
2.20 
2.20 
Wyoming Lands


-1879 
(Utah)
Irrigation 
519
7.41 
9.61 
Utah Lands





Bear River Compact:  The Amended Bear River Compact specifically references water rights 
in the Francis Lee Canal.   Article X of the Compact states: 




ARTICLE X 
 


    A.  The following rights to the use of Bear River water carried in interstate canals are 
recognized and confirmed. 
 




Name of Canal
Date of Priority
Primary Right 
(Second-feet)		
Lands Irrigated 
 (Acres)		
State


Hilliard East Fork
1914
28.00
2644
Wyoming


Chapman
8-13-86
16.46
1155
Wyoming




8-13-86
98.46
6892
Wyoming




4-12-12
0.57
40
Wyoming




5-3-12
4.07
285
Utah




5-12-12
10.17
712
Utah




2-6-13
0.79
55
Wyoming




8-28-05
134.00*





Francis Lee
1879
2.20
154
Wyoming




1879
7.41
519
Utah





*	Under the right as herein confirmed not to exceed 134 second-feet may be carried across 
the Wyoming-Utah state line in the Chapman Canal at any time for filling the Neponset 
Reservoir, for irrigation of land in Utah and for other purposes. The storage right in 
Neponset Reservoir is for 6,900 acre-feet which is a component part of the irrigation 
right for the Utah lands listed above. 






Associated Wyoming Storage Rights:  None	


Irrigation Practices:  Flood Irrigated.3 


Estimated Diversion Efficiency:




Calculated Diversion Efficiency = Conveyance Efficiency X Application Efficiency:





Conveyance Efficiency: 60%


Application Efficiency: 55%


Overall Diversion Efficiency: 33%







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.








click to enlarge



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


Return Flows:  Return flow is intercepted in Utah.


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



	
		Month
      (after initial Diversion)	 Percent of Return
		0			50%
		1			25%
		2			15%
		3			10%
					100%



Other Operational Information:   The Francis Lee Ditch is regulated by the Utah 
Commissioner as a matter of practicality.   Most of the irrigated lands (77%) are in Utah.3



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. Don Shoemaker, 
Water Hydrographer-Commissioner -  October 29, 1999.

    

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






Monthly Diversion Records

Francis Lee







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































1971
468
15.1
928.3
1902
63.4
3772.6
682
22.0
1352.7
324
10.5
642.6
296
9.9
587.1


1972
395
12.7
783.5
1188
39.6
2356.4
718
23.2
1424.1
337
10.9
668.4
249
8.3
493.9


1973
284
9.2
563.3
1301
43.4
2580.5
810
26.1
1606.6
785
25.3
1557.0
171
5.7
339.2


1974
456
14.7
904.5
1502
50.1
2979.2
741
23.9
1469.8
788
25.4
1563.0
605
20.2
1200.0


1975
338
10.9
670.4
1758
58.6
3486.9
1360
43.9
2697.5
733
23.6
1453.9
81
2.7
160.7


1976
510
16.5
1011.6
1468
48.9
2911.7
552
17.8
1094.9
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1977
359
11.6
712.1
816
27.2
1618.5
327
10.5
648.6
296
9.5
587.1
188
6.3
372.9


1978
694
22.4
1376.5
1518
50.6
3010.9
960
31.0
1904.1
405
13.1
803.3
299
10.0
593.1


1979
1609
51.9
3191.4
1790
59.7
3550.4
357
11.5
708.1
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1980
457
14.7
906.4
1634
54.5
3241.0
761
24.5
1509.4
141
4.5
279.7
49
1.6
97.2


1981
905
29.2
1795.0
1054
35.1
2090.6
539
17.4
1069.1
251
8.1
497.9
73
2.4
144.8


1982
766
24.7
1519.3
1179
39.3
2338.5
640
20.6
1269.4
114
3.7
226.1
137
4.6
271.7


1983
295
9.5
585.1
1655
55.2
3282.6
430
13.9
852.9
10
0.3
19.8
0
0.0
0.0


1984
524
16.9
1039.3
1495
49.8
2965.3
889
28.7
1763.3
46
1.5
91.2
0
0.0
0.0


1985
613
19.8
1215.9
1565
52.2
3104.1
705
22.7
1398.3
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1986
831
26.8
1648.3
1132
37.7
2245.3
551
17.8
1092.9
0
0.0
0.0
456
15.2
904.5


1987
1327
42.8
2632.1
1693
56.4
3358.0
691
22.3
1370.6
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1988
1170
37.7
2320.7
1329
44.3
2636.0
141
4.5
279.7
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1989
706
22.8
1400.3
1467
48.9
2909.8
470
15.2
932.2
176
5.7
349.1
12
0.4
23.8


1990
275
8.9
545.5
1375
45.8
2727.3
293
9.5
581.2
211
6.8
418.5
78
2.6
154.7


1991
418
13.5
829.1
1437
47.9
2850.2
744
24.0
1475.7
208
6.7
412.6
315
10.5
624.8


1992
1036
33.4
2054.9
1369
45.6
2715.4
308
9.9
610.9
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1993
1264
40.8
2507.1
1795
59.8
3560.3
691
22.3
1370.6
256
8.3
507.8
531
17.7
1053.2


1994
1369
44.2
2715.4
1782
59.4
3534.5
253
8.2
501.8
0
0.0
0.0
27
0.9
53.6


1995
836
27.0
1658.2
1653
55.1
3278.7
1007
32.5
1997.4
411
13.3
815.2
370
12.3
733.9


1996
1319
42.5
2616.2
1509
50.3
2993.1
888
28.6
1761.3
151
4.9
299.5
327
10.9
648.6


1997
1096.8
35.4
2175.5
1588.5
53.0
3150.7
638.2
20.6
1265.9
0
0.0
0.0
75
2.5
148.8


1998
1749.3
56.4
3469.7
1515
50.5
3005.0
613.5
19.8
1216.9
134.7
4.3
267.2
582.3
19.4
1155.0


1999
1069
34.5
2120.3
1590
53.0
3153.7
715
23.1
1418.2
0
0.0
0.0
354
11.8
702.1





AVERAGES


25.7
1582.6


49.5
2945.1


20.6
1263.6


6.4
395.2


6.1
360.8



Notes:

*1. No published records are available for this diversion 1970











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