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
TUNNEL DITCH DIVERSION

PREPARED BY: Bear River Basin Planning Team

DATE: August 7, 2000









Diversion Description:The headgate structure consists of a concrete headwall with a 72-inch 
CMP culvert and steel slide gate.  The culvert was partially filled with sedimentation at 
the time of inspection.  



Tunnel Ditch headgate





Diversion Location: Diversion is on the Upper Bear in Wyoming as shown in on the location 
map hereafter.  

					

Latitude  	N   41° 23' 42.2"	

Longitude     	W 111° 00'  68.9"






Conveyance Description: Open channel canal, approximately 21,120 feet in length.1


Direct Flow Water Rights:2





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


-1886 
Terr
Irrigation 
80
1.14 
1.14 



-1886 
Terr
Irrigation 
479
6.84 
7.98 
641 acres less 162 inundated


-1886 
Terr
Irrigation 
23
0.32 
8.30 
29 acres less 6 inundated


07-15-1912 
2643E
Irrigation 
38
0.54 
8.84 







Associated Storage Rights:	None


Irrigation Practices:  Lands are 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 mixed meadow grasses, 
primarily Meadow Foxtail,  etc.3


Return Flows:  Return flow is primarily captured by Woodruff Narrows.


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%
                                       100%
		



	
	
Other Operational Information:   Part of the lands originally permitted and irrigated by this 
ditch (approximately 168 acres) were inundated with the enlargement of the Woodruff 
Narrows reservoir.  No filings were ever made for abandonment or transfer of those 
rights.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

Tunnel







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
179
5.8
355.0
885
29.5
1755.4
371
12.0
735.9
291
9.4
577.2
291
9.7
577.2


1972
265
8.5
525.6
1238
41.3
2455.5
422
13.6
837.0
338
10.9
670.4
224
7.5
444.3


1973
89
2.9
176.5
1031
34.4
2045.0
547
17.6
1085.0
247
8.0
489.9
150
5.0
297.5


1974
254
8.2
503.8
1145
38.2
2271.1
290
9.4
575.2
383
12.4
759.7
88
2.9
174.5


1975
19
0.6
37.7
970
32.3
1924.0
739
23.8
1465.8
290
9.4
575.2
274
9.1
543.5


1976
81
2.6
160.7
544
18.1
1079.0
282
9.1
559.3
43
1.4
85.3
61
2.0
121.0


1977
186
6.0
368.9
439
14.6
870.7
46
1.5
91.2
0
0.0
0.0
18
0.6
35.7


1978
0
0.0
0.0
920
30.7
1824.8
416
13.4
825.1
18
0.6
35.7
0
0.0
0.0


1979
281
9.1
557.4
681
22.7
1350.7
491
15.8
973.9
204
6.6
404.6
11
0.4
21.8


1980
108
3.5
214.2
893
29.8
1771.2
174
5.6
345.1
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1981
304
9.8
603.0
751
25.0
1489.6
256
8.3
507.8
42
1.4
83.3
162
5.4
321.3


1982
159
5.1
315.4
901
30.0
1787.1
311
10.0
616.9
0
0.0
0.0
0
0.0
0.0


1983
8
0.3
15.9
804
26.8
1594.7
518
16.7
1027.4
44
1.4
87.3
0
0.0
0.0


1984
120
3.9
238.0
737
24.6
1461.8
179
5.8
355.0
25
0.8
49.6
169
5.6
335.2


1985
241
7.8
478.0
516
17.2
1023.5
204
6.6
404.6
171
5.5
339.2
72
2.4
142.8


1986
242
7.8
480.0
851
28.4
1687.9
149
4.8
295.5
248
8.0
491.9
223
7.4
442.3


1987
572
18.5
1134.5
1191
39.7
2362.3
146
4.7
289.6
12
0.4
23.8
191
6.4
378.8


1988
486
15.7
964.0
777
25.9
1541.2
123
4.0
244.0
4
0.1
7.9
84
2.8
166.6


1989
864
27.9
1713.7
845
28.2
1676.0
293
9.5
581.2
89
2.9
176.5
125
4.2
247.9


1990
269
8.7
533.6
994
33.1
1971.6
262
8.5
519.7
153
4.9
303.5
67
2.2
132.9


1991
720
23.2
1428.1
806
26.9
1598.7
80
2.6
158.7
67
2.2
132.9
145
4.8
287.6


1992
220
7.1
436.4
342
11.4
678.3
38
1.2
75.4
0
0.0
0.0
26
0.9
51.6


1993
410
13.2
813.2
656
21.9
1301.2
70
2.3
138.8
3
0.1
6.0
10
0.3
19.8


1994
296
9.5
587.1
315
10.5
624.8
177
5.7
351.1
2
0.1
4.0
38
1.3
75.4


1995
13
0.4
25.8
901
30.0
1787.1
402
13.0
797.4
1
0.0
2.0
0
0.0
0.0


1996
539
17.4
1069.1
839
28.0
1664.1
10
0.3
19.8
0
0.0
0.0
1
0.0
2.0


1997
334.1
10.8
662.7
145.9
4.9
289.4
7.6
0.2
15.1
59.6
1.9
118.2
64.4
2.1
127.7


1998
181.4
5.9
359.8
169.9
5.7
337.0
262.7
8.5
521.1
16.5
0.5
32.7
0
0.0
0.0


1999
236
7.6
468.1
511
17.0
1013.6
42
1.4
83.3
3
0.1
6.0
3
0.1
6.0





AVERAGES


8.5
525.0


25.1
1490.9


8.1
499.9


3.1
188.4


2.9
170.8



Notes:

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












To the Bear River Basin Water Plan