Wyoming State Water Plan, Wyoming Water Development Office
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Powder/Tongue River Basin Water Plan
Technical Memoranda

SUBJECT: Appendix A
Irrigation Diversion Operation and Description
WOLF CREEK

PREPARED BY: HKM Engineering Inc.

DATE: March 2002


WOLF CREEK

GARRARD DITCH DIVERSION
GRINNELL DITCH DIVERSION ON WOLF CREEK


WOLF CREEK DRAINAGE
INTRODUCTION

BIG PICTURE

Wolf Creek flows out of the east slope of the Bighorn Mountains, between the tributaries of the Big Goose and the Tongue before joining the Tongue in Ranchester. The Tongue flows east out of Ranchester until it turns northeast near Acme, Wyoming, to cross the Montana state line approximately seven miles. Once in Montana, the Tongue runs into the Tongue River Reservoir. Wolf Creek has no storage of any significance to draw upon.

CHARACTERISTICS

Wolf Creek works its way through a predominance of cobble and gravel bars from old river channels, driving up its instream losses.

USAGE

Wolf Creek.s diversions are devoted almost entirely to agricultural irrigation.

Regulation

Water commissioners estimate that regulation is imposed on Clear Creek drainage diversions with the following timing:

Wet Year Average Year Dry Year
None or last of August 2nd week of July 1st week of July

Agriculture

Growers in the Wolf Creek drainage tend to devote approximately 45 percent of their lands to alfalfa, 35 percent to grass hay, 5 percent grain, and 15 percent corn. Typically, they rotate the alfalfa/grass crop with wheat or oats for a single year to replenish their soils. They tend to use 50 percent ditch-flood irrigation and 50 percent sprinkler irrigation.

The typical irrigation season runs from April 15-May 1 (depending on whether the spring runoff is delayed by colder weather) to mid/early October (depending on when the first snows fall and the ground freezes). All of the irrigators using Wolf Creek practice post-season irrigation, using their full rights to do so.

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 Wolf Creek, this practice is limited primarily by the condition of ditches. No diversions on Wolf Creek can divert more than their appropriation.

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: GARRARD DITCH DIVERSION
Date 12 Sep. 2000
Note: The Garrard has a right for more than 10 cfs; it diverts approximately half of that.
Garrard Ditch headgate.
Diversion Description: Headgate consists of a single, 5.7 x 2-foot rectangular wooden gate in steel slider operated by a Waterman-type screw mounted in a concrete headwall.
Diversion Location: The Garrard Ditch diversion is located on the main stem of Wolf Creek downstream from the community of Wolf.

Headgate:
Lat. Long.
N 44° 47' 22.9'' W 107° 13' 6.2''
Conveyance Description: Open channel canal, approximately 2.3 mi. long with two siphons under creek crossings.
Direct Flow Water Rights: The summary of direct flow rights follows:

Permit Priority Date Permitted Use Acres Flow (cfs) Cumulative (cfs)
Terr. 04-00-1883 I 750 10.71 10.71
7204E 11-05-1997 S
0.05 10.76
Associated Storage Rights: None
Agricultural Practices: See introduction to Wolf Creek drainage
Irrigation Practices: See introduction to Wolf Creek drainage
Return Flows: Estimated percentage of total diversion developing into return flows:

Destination Wet yr. Mid yr. Dry yr.
Wolf Creek 10 7 5
Losses: Typical (10 percent) by the end of the ditch
References: Pat Boyd, water commissioner, State Engineer.s Office, interview, 12 Sept. 2000

Irrigated Lands Water Rights Database
PerNo PerSfx Facility Name Priority Acres Amount Unit SupTyp Status Source
Terr D Gerrard April 30, 1883 750 10.71 CFS OS Adj Wolf Creek

Name
Source
District
Data
Garrard Ditch Diversion
Wolf Creek
5
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 0.00 153.92 374.56 0.00 528.48
1975












1976












1977












1978












1979












1980












1981





0.00 543.06 1034.82 1037.38 489.23 257.19 3361.68
1982





0.00 377.30 1006.81 817.81 484.09 269.32 2955.33
1983





0.00 0.00 0.00 476.96 448.89 238.13 1163.98
1984





0.00 323.52 572.01 596.23 515.90 117.44 2125.10
1985





0.00 314.94 578.65 524.42 399.40 59.45 1876.86
1986





0.00 387.28 611.49 508.38 266.52 209.26 1982.93
1987





0.00 320.53 580.96 0.00 0.00 0.00 901.49
1988





0.00 389.87 809.82 380.12 96.10 0.00 1675.91
1989












1990





0.00 238.65 285.98 553.69 302.05 186.74 1567.11
1991





0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 192.84 60.13 252.97
1992





0.00 469.61 342.78 190.18 375.89 453.55 1832.01
1993





99.91 896.68 559.69 528.46 238.78 177.42 2500.94
1994





0.00 517.81 414.99 358.38 121.51 100.55 1513.24
1995





0.00 52.37 199.64 277.44 185.58 2.98 718.01
1996





0.00 0.00 184.31 148.63 33.71 25.54 392.19
1997





0.00 376.19 579.44 255.10 149.27 77.82 1437.82
1998





0.00 584.56 365.23 224.07 137.28 60.19 1371.33
1999





0.00 0.00 326.48 224.50 78.08 29.65 658.71
Mean





5.26 304.86 444.90 381.88 257.35 122.39 1516.64
Max





99.91 896.68 1034.82 1037.38 515.90 453.55 3361.68
Min





0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 252.97
Notes:
1. Monthly data is from Hydrographer's 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
Garrard Ditch Diversion
Wolf Creek
5
First & Last Dates, Max. Days
Water Year First Date of Measurement Last Date of Measurement Maximum Days Missing
1970


1971


1972


1973


1974 24-Jul 31-Aug 0
1975


1976


1977


1978


1979


1980


1981 09-May 21-Sep 24
1982 18-May 22-Sep 20
1983 07-Jul 23-Sep 13
1984 15-May 11-Sep 18
1985 15-May 10-Sep 17
1986 14-May 13-Sep 17
1987 16-May 29-Jun 13
1988 18-May 19-Aug 36
1989


1990 16-May 13-Sep 20
1991 12-Aug 12-Sep 8
1992 07-May 29-Sep 50
1993 22-Apr 29-Sep 21
1994 02-May 30-Sep 27
1995 24-May 01-Sep 29
1996 13-Jun 30-Sep 27
1997 08-May 26-Sep 8
1998 04-May 23-Sep 14
1999 04-Jun 10-Sep 12
Avg 26-May 12-Sep 20
Earliest 22-Apr 29-Jun 0
Latest 12-Aug 30-Sep 50

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


KEY DIVERSIONS

Diversion: GRINNELL DITCH DIVERSION ON WOLF CREEK
AKA: Grinnell Livestock Co (on Wolf Creek), Grinnell & Stewart
Date 12 Sep. 2000
Note: The Grinnell.s direct-flow rights were transferred from Big Goose to the Wolf on 9/13/2000 to allow the owners to tap their supplementary rights in Big Goose Creek. Because of the fractured limestone and gravel in its path and the length and low slope of its channel, this ditch tends to have large instream losses. Water commissioners report that the condition of the headgate and rights have reduced the diversion to approximately 3 cfs.
Grinnell Ditch headgate
Diversion Description: Headgate consists of a single, 4.5 x 3.5-foot rectangular steel gate in steel slider raised/lowered by a Waterman-type screw mounted in concrete headwall.
Diversion Location: The Grinnell Ditch diversion is located on the main stem of Wolf Creek just downstream from the community of Wolf.

Headgate:
Lat. Long.
N 44° 46' 24.4'' W 107° 13' 55.5''
Conveyance Description: Open channel canal, approximately 4.8 mi. long.
Direct Flow Water Rights: The summary of direct-flow rights on Wolf Creek follows:

Permit Priority Date Permitted Use Acres Flow (cfs) Cumulative (cfs)
Terr. 09-11-1884 I 1666 23.8 23.8
7182E 09-04-1996 I, Res Supply 427 6.1 29.9
Associated Storage Rights: None
Agricultural Practices: See introduction to Wolf Creek drainage
Irrigation Practices: See introduction to Wolf Creek drainage
Return Flows: Estimated percentage of total diversion developing into return flows:

Destination Wet yr. Mid yr. Dry yr.
Wolf Creek 20 15 10
Losses: Approximately 50 percent by the end of the ditch
References: Pat Boyd, water commissioner, State Engineer.s Office, interview, 12 Sept. 2000

Irrigated Lands Water Rights Database
PerNo PerSfx Facility Name Priority Acres Amount Unit SupTyp Status Source
Terr D Grinnell Live Stock Co's Sep. 11, 1884 3000 42.86 CFS OS Adj Wolf Creek
Terr D Grinnell Live Stock Co. Sep. 11, 1884 3000 42.86 CFS OS Adj Wolf Creek
Terr D Stewart (Grinnell Live Stock Co.) Dec. 10, 1884 915 13.07 CFS OS Adj Wolf Creek
Terr D Stewart (Grinnell Live Stock Co.) Dec. 10, 1884 915 13.07 CFS OS Adj Wolf Creek
275 E Enl. Stewart (Grinnell Live Stock Co.) May 28, 1897 104 1.48 CFS OS Adj Wolf Creek
7182 E Enl. Grinnell Livestock Company Sep. 4, 1996 427 6.1 CFS OS Adj Wolf Creek

Name
Source
District
Data
Grinnell Ditch Diversion
Wolf Creek
5
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 0.00 151.72 78.21 0.00 229.93
1975












1976












1977












1978












1979












1980












1981






151.62 738.75 502.29 142.70 10.34 1545.70
1982






87.07 331.44 375.13 164.96 114.76 1073.36
1983






0.00 0.00 311.48 97.91 0.00 409.39
1984






0.00 120.20 271.61 100.49 42.00 530.30
1985






148.41 365.01 104.73 0.00 0.00 618.15
1986






292.59 420.59 265.93 12.56 0.00 991.67
1987






181.98 403.90 0.00 0.00 0.00 585.88
1988






316.26 609.17 99.65 0.00 0.00 1025.08
1989












1990






0.00 0.00 147.75 310.80 0.00 458.55
1991












1992






0.00 49.59 307.31 320.29 165.79 842.98
1993






635.21 780.44 679.00 682.02 46.61 2823.28
1994






319.88 1055.26 700.11 208.57 0.00 2283.82
1995






0.00 795.57 355.46 59.66 108.99 1319.68
1996






0.00 30.35 140.05 170.44 118.29 459.13
1997






369.40 676.71 214.25 0.00 0.00 1260.36
1998






541.88 920.65 872.22 845.16 170.49 3350.40
1999






0.00 728.33 371.66 233.30 32.13 1365.42
Mean






169.13 445.89 325.91 190.39 44.97 1176.28
Max






635.21 1055.26 872.22 845.16 170.49 3350.40
Min






0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 229.93
Notes:
1. Monthly data is from spot measurements in the Hydrographer's 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
Grinnell Ditch Diversion
Wolf Creek
5
First & Last Dates, Max. Days
Water Year First Date of Measurement Last Date of Measurement Maximum Days Missing
1970


1971


1972


1973


1974 03-Jul 31-Aug 0
1975


1976


1977


1978


1979


1980


1981 25-May 02-Sep 24
1982 27-May 22-Sep 43
1983 07-Jul 17-Aug 13
1984 19-Jun 11-Sep 24
1985 22-May 15-Jul 12
1986 14-May 02-Aug 17
1987 16-May 29-Jun 13
1988 17-May 09-Jul 37
1989


1990 27-Jul 15-Aug 7
1991


1992 26-Jun 29-Sep 34
1993 10-May 08-Sep 24
1994 24-May 18-Aug 19
1995 01-Jun 29-Sep 38
1996 13-Jun 30-Sep 27
1997 15-May 14-Jul 7
1998 04-May 23-Sep 16
1999 04-Jun 10-Sep 10
Avg 03-Jun 24-Aug 20
Earliest 04-May 29-Jun 0
Latest 27-Jul 30-Sep 43

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