Powder/Tongue River Basin Water Plan
Technical Memoranda

SUBJECT:	Appendix A Irrigation Diversion Operation and Description PASS CREEK
PREPARED BY:	HKM Engineering Inc.
DATE:	March 2002

PASS CREEK

ACME DITCH DIVERSION
CHURCH DITCH DIVERSION
SUMMIT DITCH DIVERSION
TSCHIRGI NO.2 DITCH DIVERSION

PASS CREEK DRAINAGE
INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

Pass Creek flows generally northeast out of the Bighorn Mountains, draining the slope north of Columbus Creek and west of Twin Creek through several tributaries of West and East Pass creeks. Eventually, after they cross the Montana border to the north, West and East Pass creeks become Pass Creek, incorporate Twin Creek, and join the Little Bighorn. The only reservoirs in Wyoming on the Pass Creek drainage lie on the benches below the mountains.

CHARACTERISTICS

Pass Creek’s drainage within Wyoming is precipitous for the most part, crossing little irrigable land in the state. Because so little land in Wyoming can be served by the drainage, it supports few major irrigation draws on its flows.

The slope of Pass Creek’s channels in Wyoming lend themselves to little loss in Wyoming. In addition, little channel length exists in Wyoming, and West and East Pass Creek are lined with heavy clays, reducing instream losses further. Finally, extensive pressurized (piped) sprinkler usage in larger irrigating operations severely reduces losses in ditches and as a result, also severely reduces return flows.

Pass Creek drainage includes a relatively large number and high volume of reservoirs in the lands below the Bighorn Mountains and south of the Montana border.

USAGE

Pass Creek’s diversions are entirely devoted to agricultural irrigation. An 1885 milling appropriation has been inactive since the decline of the wood-cutting activity in the area.

Regulation

The Pass Creek typically doesn't operate under regulation.

Agriculture

Growers in the Pass Creek drainage tend to devote approximately 50 percent of their lands to alfalfa and 50 percent to grass hay. Their irrigation practices are detailed in the individual diversion memoranda below.

The typical irrigation season runs from April 15-May 1 (depending on whether the spring runoff is delayed by colder weather) to mid-September (depending on when the first snows fall and the ground freezes). Pass Creek drainage irrigators typically don’t use post-season irrigation.

Double Appropriation

Irrigation water rights with priority dates of March 1, 1945 or earlier are entitled to an additional 1cfs per 70 acres under Wyoming’s surplus water statutes. Whenever the supply in a stream exceeds the amount required to satisfy all existing appropriations established prior to March 1, 1985, the stream is said to be in an excess flow condition and water right holders with priorities between March 2, 1945 and March 1, 1985 may use an additional 1 cfs for each 70 acres irrigated.

In Pass Creek, this practice is limited primarily by the drainage area containing arable lands within Wyoming. Though irrigators could draw twice their allocation, they don’t appear to need it for their crops.

Permitted Uses

Permits granted for water appropriation are granted for specific uses. The following pages contain tables of permits and their associated uses. The following table provides a key to those uses:

Code	Use
Chem	Chemical
Com	Commercial
Cul	Culinary
D	Domestic
Drl	Drilling
Eng	Steam Engines
Fire	Fire Protection
Fish	Fish Propogation
F.C.	Flood Control
I	Irrigation
Ind	Industrial
I.F.	Instream Flow
Mech	Mechanical
Mfg	Manufacturing
Mil	Milling
Min	Mining
Misc	Miscellaneous
Mun	Municipal
Oil	Oil Refining or Production
P.C.	Pollution Control
Power	Power Development
R.R.	Railroad
Rec	Recreational
Ref	Refining
Res. Supply	Supply Facility for a Reservoir
S	Stock
T	Transportation

WATER RIGHTS

Two water rights summary tables are provided for each diversion serving irrigation referenced here. The first, included in the body of the diversion synopsis, refers to the rights on record with the State Engineer’s Office and is derived from that office’s Tabulation of Adjudicated Surface Water Rights of the State of Wyoming, Water Division Number Two (Oct. 1999).

Because this rights summary is pulled directly from the SEO Tab, the rights cited follow the SEO’s priority order:

Hierarchy	Format of right	Example
1	Day, Month, Year	05-15-1884
2	Month and Year	05-00-1884
3	Specified Season and Year	Spring 1884
4	Year Only	1884
5	Before Year	Before 1884

Board orders or court orders may also establish a specific priority.

Irrigated Lands Water Rights Database

The second table, which follows the diversion synopsis, is taken from the irrigated lands water rights database developed for the basin plan. It can be used as a reference with the following caveats: It only lists water rights associated with the irrigated lands polygons mapped by HKM. The table does not include nonirrigation rights devoted to reservoir supply, municipal, fish propagation, etc. The rights on this table are associated only with those irrigated lands identified through the course of this study, both actively irrigated and currently idle.

Column Heading Key
PerNo	Permit Number	"Terr" denotes a territorial right.
PerSfx	Permit Suffix	D = direct flow
		E = enlargement
		R = reservoir
Facility Name		Parantheses denote the former means of conveyance for the water right.
Unit	Flow or volume	CFS = cubic feet per second
		AF = acre-feet
		GPM = gallons per minute
SupTyp	Supply Type	OS = original supply
		SS = supplement supply, for lands having an original supply from another source.
		Sec = secondary supply, for water stored in a reservoir
Status	Status of adjudication	Adj = adjudicated
		Una = unadjudicated
Source	Source water	Parantheses denote the permit number of the related storage right.

KEY DIVERSIONS

Diversion:	ACME DITCH DIVERSION	Acme Ditch diversion(West Pass Creek begins at the top left of the photo, Acme Ditch begins at the bottom left)
Date:	9 May 2001
Notes:	Soils along ditch include much clay. Slow, long ditch with essentially only two active users. From reports, maintenance has been a problem and irrigation activity has declined considerably.
Diversion Description:	No control structure is evident. The diversion consists of a braided stream channel that diverges, one fork as West Pass Creek, the other as the Acme Ditch. No measurement devices could be found.
Diversion Location:	The Acme Ditch diversion is located on the North Fork of West Pass Creek, just upstream from the X. X. Ranch. West Pass becomes Pass Creek in Montana, where it also joins the Little Bighorn River and eventually, the Yellowstone River.
	Diversion: Lat. Long. N 44° 56' 47.9'' W 107° 31' 16.7''
Conveyance Description:	Open channel canal, approximately 11.0 mi. long.
Direct Flow Water Rights:	In recent years, active irrigation has fallen off considerably, to approximately half of the original appropriation. The summary of direct flow rights follows: Permit Priority Date Permitted Use Acres Flow (cfs) Cumulative (cfs) Terr. 07-05-1889 I,S 35 0.5 0.50 Terr. 07-05-1889 I,S 100 1.42 1.92 Terr. 07-05-1889 I,S 200 2.84 4.76 5712E 12-09-1953 I 61 0.87 5.68
Associated Storage Rights:	No significant storage rights are permitted on the Acme.
Irrigation Practices:	In the past 10 years, sprinklers have been removed in favor of 100 percent ditch_flood irrigation.
Return Flows:	Estimated percentage of total diversion developing into return flows:
	Destination Wet yr. Avg yr. Dry yr. West Pass Creek 50 35 20
Losses:	30 percent by end
References:	David Hannahs, X Bar X ranch manager, interview,  29 Jan. 2001 Ken Kearns, local landowner, interview, 2 Jan. 2001

Irrigated Lands Water Rights Database

PerNo	PerSfx	Facility Name	Priority	Acres	Amount	Unit	SupTyp	Status	Source
Terr	D	Acme	July  5, 1889	335	4.76	CFS	OS	Adj	West Pass Creek or Cave Creek
5712	E	Enl. Acme	Dec. 9, 1953	61	0.87	CFS	OS	Adj	West Pass Creek or Cave Creek
21336	D	Acme	Dec. 9, 1953	96			OS	Una	Branch (North Fork) West Pass Creek

Name Source District Data	Acme Ditch Diversion West Pass Creek 6 Total monthly flow in AF
Water Year	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Total
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974								0.00	7.44	71.72	68.61	0.00	147.77
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984								38.81	169.46	184.46	182.55	103.07	678.35
1985
1986								35.70	119.01	100.42	81.31	29.01	365.45
1987								52.31	75.12	0.00	0.00	0.00	127.43
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997								69.36	90.61	41.58	23.95	23.24	248.74
1998								171.32	221.21	149.91	76.61	30.90	649.95
1999								0.00	50.83	81.87	59.31	0.00	192.01
Mean								52.50	104.81	89.99	70.33	26.60	344.24
Max								171.32	221.21	184.46	182.55	103.07	678.35
Min								0.00	7.44	0.00	0.00	0.00	127.43

Notes:
1. Monthly data is derived from spot measurements in the Hydrographers' Annual Reports for years 1980 and later, and from WRDS for years prior to 1980
2. Zero flow is assumed prior to the first and after the last measurement.

Name Source District Data	ACME Ditch Diversion West Pass Creek 6 First & Last Dates, Max. Days
Water Year	First Date of Measurement	Last Date of Measurement	Maximum Days Missing
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974	28-Jun	31-Aug	0
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984	23-May	22-Sep	31
1985
1986	23-May	13-Sep	28
1987	18-May	26-Jun	28
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997	21-May	23-Sep	22
1998	07-May	18-Sep	24
1999	17-Jun	23-Aug	28
Avg.	28-May	31-Aug	23
Earliest	07-May	26-Jun	0
Latest	28-Jun	23-Sep	31

Notes: 1. Data is from Hydrographers' Annual Reports for years 1980 and later, and from WRDS for years prior to 1980.

KEY DIVERSIONS

Diversion:	CHURCH DITCH DIVERSION	Church Ditch headgate
Date:	9 May 2001
Notes:	The soil in the Church Ditch’s channel is composed of loam from East Pass Creek to Twin Creek, where it becomes clays.
Diversion Description:	Headgate consists of a circular steel gate in steel slides operated with a Waterman-type screw in a newly poured concrete headwall. (Diverts through 2-ft. diameter corrugated metal pipe.)
Diversion Location:	The Church Ditch diversion is located on East Pass Creek, just downstream from its confluence with Taffner Creek. East Pass becomes Pass Creek in Montana, where it also joins the Little Bighorn River and eventually, the Yellowstone River.	Church Ditch. flume
	Headgate: Lat. Long. N 44° 57' 52.3'' W 107° 27' 56.3'' Flume: Lat. Long. N 44° 57' 52.4'' W 106° 27' 52.0''
Conveyance Description:	Open channel canal, approximately 6.5 mi. long.
Direct Flow Water Rights:	Permit Priority Date Permitted Use Acres Flow (cfs) Cumulative (cfs) Terr. 08-00-1886 I 714 10.02 10.02 Terr. -1887 I 5 0.07 10.09 Note: Recent changes in points of use have split the Church Ditch rights up throughout the lands in the Twin Creek Unit of the Sunlight Ranch. Approximately 40 percent of that acreage (and use) has actually been moved into Montana. Approximately 35 percent remains under the Church Ditch, and 25 percent has been moved to under the Summit Ditch.
Associated Storage Rights:	Fills Reynolds No. 1 and 2 Reservoirs
Irrigation Practices:	Approximately 70% sprinkler, 30 percent ditch-flood irrigation
Return Flows:	Estimated percentage of total diversion developing into return flows:
	Destination Wet yr. Avg. yr. Dry yr. East Pass Creek 40 25 10
Losses:	Approximately 10 percent by the end of the ditch
References:	Ken Kearns, local landowner, Interview, 2 Jan. 2001 Twin Creek Ranch IrrigationSystem Rehabliliation, HKM Associates, June 1985

Irrigated Lands Water Rights Database

PerNo	PerSfx	Facility Name	Priority	Acres	Amount	Unit	SupTyp	Status	Source
Terr	D	Church	Aug 31, 1886	714	10.02	CFS	OS	Adj	East Pass Creek
Terr	D	Church 2nd Appr.	Dec. 31, 1887	5	0.07	CFS	OS	Adj	East Pass Creek

Name Source District Data	Church Ditch Diversion East Pass  Creek 6 Total monthly flow in AF
Water Year	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Total
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974								0.00	0.00	38.30	126.09	0.00	164.39
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984								0.00	24.24	225.67	244.04	146.71	640.66
1985
1986								0.00	0.00	140.78	112.11	0.00	252.89
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993								0.00	0.00	0.00	11.54	84.68	96.22
1994
1995
1996
1997								0.00	41.86	127.47	189.87	186.02	545.22
1998								140.99
1999								0.00	0.00	41.22	227.83	0.00	269.05
Mean								20.14	11.02	95.57	151.91	69.57	328.07
Max								140.99	41.86	225.67	244.04	186.02	640.66
Min								0.00	0.00	0.00	11.54	0.00	96.22

Notes:
1. Monthly data is derived from spot measurements in the Hydrographers' Annual Reports for years 1980 and later, and from WRDS for years prior to 1980
2. Zero flow is assumed prior to the first and after the last measurement

Name Source District Data	Church Ditch Diversion East Pass Creek 6 First & Last Dates, Max. Days
Water Year	First Date of Measurement	Last Date of Measurement	Maximum Days Missing
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974	29-Jul	31-Aug	0
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984	27-Jun	22-Sep	31
1985
1986	12-Jul	20-Aug	23
1987	One Reading	One Reading	One Reading
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	27-Aug	28-Sep	32
1994
1995
1996
1997	03-Jun	16-Sep	36
1998	11-May	15-Sep	91
1999	15-Jul	23-Aug	12
Avg.	04-Jul	08-Sep	32
Earliest	11-May	20-Aug	0
Latest	27-Aug	28-Sep	91

Notes: 1. Data is from Hydrographers' Annual Reports for years 1980 and later, and from WRDS for years prior to 1980.

KEY DIVERSIONS

Diversion:	SUMMIT DITCH DIVERSION	Summit Ditch Headgate
Date:	9 May 2001
Note:	The Parshall flume used to measure flows through this ditch appears to be in poor condition and is actually being bypassed by much of the flow.
Diversion Description:	Headgate consists of a circular steel gate in steel slides operated with a Waterman-type screw. (Diverts through 2-ft. diameter corrugated metal pipe.)
Diversion Location:	The Summit Ditch diversion is located on East Pass Creek, just downstream from the Church Ditch diversion. East Pass becomes Pass Creek in Montana, where it also joins the Little Bighorn River and eventually, the Yellowstone River.
	Headgate: Lat. Long. N 44° 58' 38.4'' W 107° 26' 52.0'' Flume: Lat. Long. N 44° 58' 39.4'' W 107° 26' 47.6''	Summit Ditch Flume
Conveyance Description:	Open channel canal, approximately 33.0 mi. long (inside Wyoming).
Direct Flow Water Rights:	Permit Priority Date Permitted Use Acres Flow (cfs) Cumulative (cfs) Terr. 03-00-1887 I 25 0.36 0.36 Terr. 04-01-1887 I 15 0.21 0.57 Terr. 04-01-1887 I 25 0.36 0.93 Terr. 04-01-1887 I 30 0.43 1.36 Terr. 04-01-1887 I 40 0.57 1.93 Terr. 04-01-1887 I 70 1.00 2.93 Terr. 04-01-1887 I 75 1.00 3.93 Terr. 04-01-1887 I 75 1.00 4.93 Terr. 04-01-1887 I 90 1.29 6.22
Associated Storage Rights:	No significant storage rights are permitterd on the Summit.
Irrigation Practices:	100 percent ditch-flood
Return Flows:	Estimated percentage of total diversion developing into return flows:
	Destination Wet yr. Avg yr. Dry yr. West Pass Creek 50 35 20
Losses:	Approximately 30 percent by the end of the ditch
References:	Ken Kearns, local landowner, Interview, 2 Jan. 2001 Twin Creek Ranch Irrigation System Rehabilitation, HKM Associates, June 1985

Irrigated Lands Water Rights Database

PerNo	PerSfx	Facility Name	Priority	Acres	Amount	Unit	SupTyp	Status	Source
Terr	D	Summit (Denius Sprinkler System)	March 31, 1887	445	7.22	CFS	OS	Adj	East Pass Creek
Terr	D	Summit (Denius Sprinkler System)	April 1, 1887	445	7.22	CFS	OS	Adj	East Pass Creek

Name Source District Data	Summit Ditch Diversion East Pass Creek 6 Total monthly flow in AF
Water Year	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Total
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974								0.00	1.77	15.93	26.68	0.00	44.38
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997								0.00	70.33	203.89	155.91	96.83	526.96
1998								102.70	149.95	130.89	166.26	75.17	624.97
1999								0.00	23.70	50.78	38.48	0.00	112.96
Mean								25.68	61.44	100.37	96.83	43.00	327.32
Max								102.70	149.95	203.89	166.26	96.83	624.97
Min								0.00	1.77	15.93	26.68	0.00	44.38

Notes:
1. Monthly data is derived from spot measurements in the Hydrographers' Annual Reports for years 1980 and later, and from WRDS for years prior to 1980
2. Zero flow is assumed prior to the first and after the last measurement.

Name Source District Data	Summit Ditch Diversion East Pass Creek 6 First & Last Dates, Max. Days
Water Year	First Date of Measurement	Last Date of Measurement	Maximum Days Missing
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974	28-Jun	31-Aug	0
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997	03-Jun	23-Sep	42
1998	05-May	15-Sep	22
1999	17-Jun	23-Aug	28
Avg.	05-Jun	07-Sep	23
Earliest	05-May	23-Aug	0
Latest	28-Jun	23-Sep	42

Notes: 1. Data is from Hydrographers' Annual Reports for years 1980 and later, and from WRDS for years prior to 1980.

KEY DIVERSIONS

Diversion:	TSCHIRGI NO. 2 DITCH DIVERSION
Date:	29 Jan 2001
Diversion Description:	Now a pumping diversion.
Diversion Location:	The Tschirgi No. 2 Ditch diversion is located on West Pass Creek. West Pass becomes Pass Creek in Montana, where it also joins the Little Bighorn River and eventually, the Yellowstone River.
Conveyance Description:	Pressurized pipeline.
Direct Flow Water Rights:	The summary of direct flow rights follows: Permit Priority Date Permitted Use Acres Flow (cfs) Cumulative (cfs) 91 07-06-1891 I,S 35 .50 .50 973E 01-26-1903 I 147 2.10 2.60 973E 01-26-1903 I 159 2.27 4.87 973E 01-26-1903 I 338 4.82 9.69 Note: Current irrigators note that pumping rates have tapped approximately 4 cfs of the right in the past few years, but that plans to open the Tschirgi No. 2 ditch again and install new pumps mean increases in use of right.
Associated Storage Rights:	None
Irrigation Practices:	Approximately 5 percent of irrigation is done by “big gun,” single-head sprinklers, 5 percent by hand-line sprinklers, 50 percent by sideroll, and the remaining 40 percent is done with gated pipe.
Return Flows:	Estimated percentage of total diversion developing into return flows:
	Destination Wet yr. Avg yr. Dry yr. West Pass Creek 25 20 10
Losses:	None (Pumping diversions have no conveyance losses.)
References:	Ken Kearns, local landowner, Interview, 2 Jan. 2001 Paula Luschen, owner, and Hal Iverson, ranch manager, West Pass Creek Ranch, telephone interview, 31 Jan. 2001

Irrigated Lands Water Rights Database

PerNo	PerSfx	Facility Name	Priority	Acres	Amount	Unit	SupTyp	Status	Source
973	E	Enl. Tschirgi No. 2 (Nicholson West Pass Pump)	Jan  26, 1903	644	9.19	CFS	OS	Adj	West Pass Creek