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

SUBJECT: Appendix J
Storage Operation and Description
KEARNEY LAKE

PREPARED BY: HKM Engineering Inc.

DATE: March 2002


KEY STORAGE FACILITIES
Reservoir: KEARNEY LAKE
Date: 27 Feb. 2001
Location: NWNW 29,T52N,R85W
Owner: KEARNEY LAKE LAND & RES. CO. -JIM WAGNER
Year of Construction: 1928
Total Storage: 7,500 acre-feet
Active Storage: 6,324 acre-feet
Dead Storage: Not available
Area/Capacity Data: (Source: undated table on file with State Engineer's Office, Water Div. II)

Feet Elevation Area Average
Area
Volume
Released
Volume
Remaining
0.0 9194.0 176.8 173.6 000.00 6130.55
1.0 9193.0 176.8 173.6 173.60 5956.95
2.0 9192.0 176.8 173.6 347.20 5783.35
3.0 9191.0 176.8 173.6 520.80 5609.75
4.0 9190.0 170.4 173.6 694.40 5436.15
5.0 9189.0 170.4 166.35 868.00 5262.55
6.0 9188.0 170.4 166.35 1034.35 5096.20
7.0 9187.0 170.4 166.35 1200.70 9429.85
8.0 9186.0 170.4 166.35 1367.05 4763.50
9.0 9185.0 162.3 158.30 1533 40 4597.15
10.0 9184.0 162.3 158.30 1691.70 4438.85
11.0 9183.0 162.3 158.30 1850.00 4280.55
12.0 9182.0 162.3 158.30 2008.30 4112.25
13.0 9181.0 162.3 158.30 2166.60 3936.95
14.0 9180.0 154.3 149.25 2324.90 3805.65
15.0 9179.0 154.3 149.25 2474.15 3656.40
16.0 9178.0 154.3 149.25 2623.40 3507.15
17.0 9177.0 154.3 149.25 2772.65 3357.90
18.0 9176.0 154.3 149.25 2921.90 3208.65
19.0 9175.0 144.2 139.60 3071.15 3059.40
20.0 9174.0 144.2 139.60 3210.75 2919.80
21.0 9173.0 144.2 139.60 3350.35 2780.20
22.0 9172.0 144.2 139.60 3489.95 2640.60
23.0 9171.0 144.2 139.60 3629.55 2501.00
24.0 9170.0 135.0 128.65 3769.15 2361.40
25.0 9169.0 135.0 128.65 3897.80 2232.75
26.0 9168.0 135.0 128.65 4026.45 2104.10
27.0 9167.0 135.0 128.65 4155.10 1975.45
28.0 9166.0 122.3 113.95 4283.75 1846.80
29.0 5165.0 122.3 113.95 4397.50 1733.05
30.0 9164.0 111.8 113.95 4511.45 1690.10
31.0 9163.0 111.8 105.30 4625.40 1505.10
32.0 9162.0 111.8 105.30 4730.70 1399.80
33.0 9161.0 111.8 105.30 4836.00 1294.50
34.0 9160.0 111.8 105.30 4941.30 1189.20
35.0 9159.5 98.8 94.35 5046.60 1084.90
36.0 9158.0 98.8 94.35 5140.95 989.60
37.0 9157.0 98.8 94.35 5235.30 895.24
38.0 9156.0 98.8 94.35 5329.65 800.90
39.0 9155.0 98.8 94.35 5424.00 706.55
40.0 9154.5 89.9 82.75 5518.35 612.20
41.0 9153.0 89.9 82.75 5601.10 529.45
42.0 9152.0 89.9 82.75 5683.85 446.70
43.0 9151.0 89.9 82.75 5766.60 363.95
44.0 9150.0 89.9 82.75 5849.35 281.20
45.0 9149.5 76.6 70.40 5932.10 198.45
46.0 9148.0 76.6 70.40 6002.50 128.05
47.0 9147.0 76.6 27.80 6072.90 57.65
48.0 9146.5 65.2 27.80 6100.70 29.85
49.0 9145.0 23.5 27.80 6128.50 2.05

Note: The Safety of Dams Database active storage volume (6,342 acre- feet) does not correlate with published area-capacity table maximum (6,130.55 acre-feet). The State Engineer's Office uses the area-capacity table number.
Dam Construction Type: Earth Fill
End-of-Month Storage Records: No
Water Rights: (Source: Tabulation of Adjudicated Surface Water Rights of the State of Wyoming, Water Division Number Two, Oct. 1999.)

Reservoir Permit Number Permitted Use Priority Date Volume (af) Headgate Location (S-T-R)
Kearney Lake Res. 962R D,I,S 11-22-1906 1854.05 30-52-085
Enl. Kearney Lake Res 6555R I 07-14-1950 4276.5 29-52-085
Enl. Kearney Lake Res 6826R I 12-31-1964 193.79 29-52-085
Designated Use: Irrigation
Recreational Use: Fishing and boating
Associated Irrigation Diversions: (Source: Carmine LoGuidice, Div. II water commissioner/hydrographer)

Diversion Tributary
Mead & Coffeen (Crossover & 1°) Piney Creek
Piney & Cruse (Crossover & 1°) Piney Creek
Mueller Piney Creek
Prairie Dog (Crossover & 1°) Piney Creek
Sturdevant Piney Creek
Associated Industrial Diversions: None
Operational Discussion: Kearney Lake is one of the high-elevation reservoirs that have been built on old lakebeds in the Piney Creek drainage. At 9,200 feet, Kearney Lake closes earlier than many of the other lakes, usually on Sept. 15. It begins releases with the following timing:

First release timing, Cross Creek Reservoir

Wet Year Average Year Dry Year
2nd week of July 4th week of June 2nd week of June
References: Carmine Loguidice, State Engineer's Office Water Div. 2 water commissioner, interview, 20 Feb. 2001.

Active Dams, State Engineer's Office Safety of Dams Engineering Div. Database, transmitted by Larry Stockdale, Safety of Dams engineering consultant, 16 Feb. 2001.

Tabulation of Adjudicated Surface Water Rights of the State of Wyoming, Water Division Number Two, Oct. 1999, database transmitted by Rebecca Mathisen, SEO Technical Services Division administrator, 8 Sept. 2000.

Net Evaporation from Kearney Reservoir:

Lewis Annual Evaporation (in.)46
Total Storage (acre-feet)7,500


Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average percent of total storage 56.72 57.55 57.87 60.80 71.16 72.71 68.17 64.03 57.62 57.03 58.79 60.84
Generated storage (acre-feet) 4254 4316 4340 4560 5337 5453 5113 4802 4321 4277 4410 4563
Corresponding area (acres) 158.3 158.3 158.3 158.3 166.35 173.6 166.35 166.35 158.3 158.3 158.3 158.3

Calculations:
Monthly Lewis Evap. (inches) 1.242 1.15 1.794 3.68 5.29 6.026 7.866 7.176 5.29 3.496 1.794 1.196
Monthly Precipitation (inches) 1.75 1.75 2.75 3.25 3.75 3.25 1.75 1.25 2.25 2.25 2.25 1.75
Net Evaporation (inches) 0 0 0 0.43 1.54 2.776 6.116 5.926 3.04 1.246 0 0 TOTAL
Total Net Evaporation (acre-feet) 0 0 0 6 21 40 85 82 40 16 0 0 291