Recreational Water Use: Campgrounds and Other Water-Related Recreation

Recreational uses of water are varied, most are not easily quantified, and most are non-consumptive. The perceived aesthetic value of an area is often directly related to the presence of a stream or lake. Camping is prevalent throughout the Basin, with the most extensive camping opportunities located on national forest land in the Snowy Range, the east slope of the Sierra Madre Mountains, and the Laramie Range.

There are numerous major water-based recreation destinations in WyomingÆs Platte River Basin. Guernsey Reservoir is the nearest major destination to this subbasin. Guernsey Reservoir is located on the North Platte River two miles west of the town of Guernsey in Platte County. A dam was built between 1925 and 1927 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to create Lake Guernsey. Guernsey Reservoir has an adjudicated water right for 71,040 acre-feet. The Civilian Conservation Corps completed approximately 85 percent of the construction of Guernsey State Park between 1933 and 1936. The Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources manages the recreational facilities at Guernsey Reservoir for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Guernsey State Park provides campgrounds and boat ramps for public use. Fees are collected from the public to utilize campgrounds and to enter Guernsey State Park.

The Guernsey Reservoir water level is typically lowered twice each year for a relatively brief period in order to provide annual ôsilt runs.ö The ôsilt runsö are U.S. Bureau of Reclamation operations which provides silt-laden irrigation water to the Goshen, Gering-Fort Laramie, and Pathfinder Irrigation Districts by decreasing Glendo Reservoir outflow, thereby reducing the Guernsey Reservoir water level; then increasing Glendo Reservoir discharge into and through Guernsey Reservoir, thereby flushing silt from Guernsey Reservoir and re-filling Guernsey Reservoir. To view a map of the recreational sites located in the Guernsey to State Line subbasin click here. The facilities located within the Guernsey to State Line subbasin are highlighted.

Public recreational use facilities at major reservoirs and sites in the Platte River Basin