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

SUBJECT: Appendix M
Available Surface Water Determination

PREPARED BY: HKM Engineering Inc.

DATE: February 2002


INTRODUCTION

Spreadsheet water accounting models have been developed for the following six primary subbasins in the Powder/Tongue River Basin planning area to represent streamflows under current levels of development.

  1. Little Bighorn
  2. Tongue River
  3. Clear Creek
  4. Crazy Woman Creek
  5. Powder River
  6. Little Powder River
The models are described in the Spreadsheet Model Development and Calibration memorandum (HKM, 2002). These models are tools for identifying water shortages as well as flows that are available to Wyoming water users for future development, and to assess the impacts of potential projects at a planning level. The models are developed to represent wet year, normal year, and dry year hydrologic conditions in each of the individual subbasins. The development of monthly streamflow inputs to the model for the three hydrologic conditions is presented in the Surface Water Hydrology memorandum (HKM, 2002).

The purpose of the current task is to analyze the results of the spreadsheet model runs to determine where water shortages currently exist and to determine the location, quantity, and timing of available flows for future development.

WATER SHORT AREAS

HKM reviewed the results of the water availability modeling runs to make a determination of where water shortages occur under existing conditions. The results of the modeling were further reviewed by identifying those ditches that have experienced relatively low diversions historically in comparison to other ditches. As a further crosscheck, the initial determinations of water short areas were reviewed with the SEO Division 2 Superintendent for reasonableness. It is recognized that almost every area of the planning area can be considered water short during severe dry years such as were experienced during the summer of 2001. The purpose of this investigation is to identify those areas that experience relatively high shortages in comparison to other areas in the Basin. The areas listed in Table 1 were identified as being water short in a typical year.

Table 1
Water Short Areas During Normal Hydrologic Conditions
River Basin Stream
Little Bighorn River Twin Cr.
East Pass Cr.
Tongue River Columbus Cr.
Smith Cr.
Rapid Cr.
Little Goose Cr.
Soldier Cr.
Wolf Cr.
Little Tongue R.
Clear Creek Little Piney Cr.
Rock Cr.
Johnson Cr.
French Cr.
Clear Cr.
Crazy Woman Creek N. Fk. Crazy Woman Cr.
Muddy Cr. (trib. of N.Fk. Crazy Woman Cr.)
Middle Fk. Crazy Woman Cr.
Powder River N. Fk. Powder R.
Buffalo Cr.
Middle Fk. Powder
Little Powder River Little Powder River

AVAILABLE FLOW

Each basin model is divided into a number of reaches, each composed of several nodes, or water balance points. Reaches are typically defined by gages or confluences, and represent tributary basins or subsections of the mainstem. A Reach Outflow worksheet is provided in each model summarizing the monthly flow at the downstream end of each reach. The information provided in these summaries is the basis for this analysis.

While simulated flow at the reach terminus indicates the estimated amount of water physically present, it does not fully reflect availability. Downstream demands relying on the water physically available at any given location must first be accounted for. These downstream demands fall into three general categories:

  1. Existing irrigation, or municipal diversions
  2. Instream flow constraints
  3. Compact constraints
Available Flow in Excess of Existing Diversion Demands

To determine how much of the physical supply is actually available in excess of existing demands, "available flow" at each reach terminus is defined as the minimum of the physically available flow at that point, and the "available flow" at all downstream reaches. Thus available flow must be defined first at the most downstream point, with upstream availability calculated in stream order. These calculations are made on a monthly basis, and annual water availability is computed as the sum of monthly values. Note that calculating annual availability in this way yields a different result than applying the same logic to annual flows for each reach. The summation of monthly values is more accurate, reflecting constraints of downstream use on a monthly basis.

Instream Flow Constraints

Instream flow rights exert a demand on the river but do not affect physical supply, because the water is not removed from the stream. Sufficient flow must be bypassed through upstream reaches to satisfy downstream instream flow requirements. The available flow for reaches located upstream from permitted instream flows are determined as the minimum of physical flow at that point, and available flow in excess of existing diversion demands less the instream flow requirement at the downstream reach.

The six permitted instream flow rights in the planning area are described in the Environmental Water Use memorandum (HKM, 2002). With only one exception, all of the instream flow rights are located above the most upstream reach explicitly simulated in the model. The available flow for future development reported herein, therefore, is downstream from most of these instream flow constraints. The exception is a 9.86-mile long reach of the Middle Fork Powder River with a 1987 priority instream flow requirement of 12 to 25 cfs. The available flow in Reach 2 of the Powder River sub-basin was calculated taking this instream flow demand into consideration.

The reach by reach results of the monthly available flow determination, accounting for the instream flow constraints, are provided in Tables 2 through 19 for each of the six subbasins and for each of the three hydrologic conditions (wet, normal, and dry years). The total annual available flow is summarized in Table 20 for each subbasin and hydrologic condition.

Table 20
Total Annual Available Flow
Subbasin Hydrologic Condition
Wet Years Normal Years Dry Years
Little Bighorn River 152,000 113,000 81,000
Tongue River 473,000 326,000 218,000
Clear Creek 213,000 124,000 80,000
Crazy Woman Creek 69,000 32,000 16,000
Powder River 547,000 324,000 194,000
Little Powder River 48,000 12,000 3,000

The yield potential of each of these basins is limited by the dry year conditions. Further, the timing of these available flows does not necessarily match the timing of the demand for this water. For example of the 218,000 acre feet of available flow from the Tongue River during a typical dry year, 65 percent of this occurs during the spring runoff months of March through June. Reservoir storage would be required to store this excess flow to satisfy demands throughout the year. The available flow presented in Table 20 does not include the constraints of the Yellowstone River Compact. This will be discussed in the next section.

Compact Constraints

A determination of the amount of water available to Wyoming for future development is not complete without an evaluation of the constraints imposed by interstate compacts. The Yellowstone River Compact of 1950 governs the allocation of the waters in the Powder River and Tongue River between the States of Montana and Wyoming.

The following is a brief summary of the rules for dividing the waters according to the Yellowstone River Compact (SEO, 1982):

  1. existing rights as of January 1, 1950 maintain their status quo;
  2. no water may be diverted from the Yellowstone River Basin for use in another River Basin without consent from all states;
  3. existing and future domestic and stock water uses including stock water reservoirs up to a capacity of 20 acre-feet are exempted from provisions of the Compact.

    The unappropriated or unused total divertible flow of each tributary after needs for supplemental supply for existing rights are met, is allocated to Wyoming and Montana on a percentage basis

    Nothing contained in the Compact is to be construed to adversely affect any rights to the use of the waters of the Yellowstone River by or for Indians, Indian tribes, and their reservations.

Additional discussion of the Compact is provided in the Legal and Institutional Constraints memorandum (Lord Consulting, 2002).

The methodology used in the current study to evaluate water availability under the Yellowstone River Compact was coordinated through the Wyoming State Engineers Office and relies heavily on previous work performed by others on behalf of each of the two States (Tavelli, October 2001). A more detailed, "from the ground up" evaluation is beyond the scope of the current planning effort. The methodology employed provides estimates of Wyoming's allocation under each of the three hydrologic conditions (wet, normal, and dry years).

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Table 2
Available Flow for Little Bighorn Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Wet Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 East Pass Cr below USGS gage 06289800 549 484 684 1,035 3,727 4,598 1,411 517 721 710 600 210 15,555
2 East Pass Cr below USGS gage 06289820 568 496 690 1,035 3,741 4,636 1,458 573 788 760 638 549 15,931
3 Elkhorn Creek below USGS gage 06288975 89 81 92 136 711 1,115 315 147 150 118 102 95 3,153
4Red Canyon Creek below USGS gage 06289100 46 37 66 346 1,001 421 105 48 44 60 52 42 2,268

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Table 3
Available Flow for Little Bighorn Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Normal Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 East Pass Cr below USGS gage 06289800 528 542 635 982 2,882 2,855 883 494 512 596 562 544 12,016
2 East Pass Cr below USGS gage 06289820 549 556 643 988 2,906 2,902 937 556 589 654 605 575 12,461
3 Elkhorn Creek below USGS gage 06288975 86 75 88 137 464 592 174 124 114 116 101 92 2,164
4Red Canyon Creek below USGS gage 06289100 29 24 43 213 544 238 61 29 28 40 35 28 1,313

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Table 4
Available Flow for Little Bighorn Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Dry Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 East Pass Cr below USGS gage 06289800 506 458 592 790 1,407 1,317 673 398 475 620 578 551 8,364
2 East Pass Cr below USGS gage 06289820 527 472 600 804 1,455 1,387 743 470 565 688 628 586 8,926
3 Elkhorn Creek below USGS gage 06288975 81 70 83 141 317 246 133 109 91 104 97 90 1,562
4Red Canyon Creek below USGS gage 06289100 23 17 24 125 258 101 32 20 23 29 28 22 702

Table 5
Available Flow for Tongue River Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Wet Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Tongue River above Little Tongue River 3,493 3,099 4,101 5,652 34,863 69,125 25,201 8,354 5,454 5,369 4,132 3,715 172,557
2 Little Tongue River 132 109 151 334 4,235 7,620 1,320 56 0 238 164 143 14,502
3 Tongue River above Wolf Creek 3,826 3,343 4,325 5,986 39,098 76,744 26,521 8,410 5,454 6,123 4,689 4,156 188,675
4 Wolf Creek 507 395 456 736 7,343 12,285 2,000 0 10 1,014 765 630 26,141
5 Tongue River above Goose Creek 4,443 3,889 4,866 6,723 46,441 89,029 28,521 8,410 5,464 7,481 5,891 4,915 216,074
6 Big Goose Creek above Rapid Creek 904 1,286 2,907 3,434 20,500 45,977 15,058 2,911 3,258 1,898 1,341 1,169 100,643
7 Rapid Creek 69 73 140 48 622 1,269 914 0 0 113 91 79 3,418
8 Big Goose Creek above Beaver Creek 1,124 1,461 3,103 3,483 21,123 47,246 15,972 2,911 3,258 2,218 1,725 1,471 105,095
9 Beaver Creek 93 60 52 73 492 715 180 88 71 220 186 142 2,373
10 Big Goose Creek above Little Goose Creek 1,400 1,633 3,209 3,561 21,649 48,030 16,152 2,998 3,329 2,438 2,037 1,704 108,141
11 Little Goose Creek 2,224 2,093 3,152 3,297 17,881 21,368 4,782 1,962 3,047 3,462 2,966 2,478 68,712
12 Goose Creek above Soldier Creek 3,931 3,983 6,542 7,735 41,796 70,136 20,934 4,960 6,376 5,901 5,002 4,182 181,477
13 Soldier Creek 975 690 596 535 1,360 1,604 490 436 579 1,013 928 806 10,013
14 Goose Creek below Soldier Creek 4,906 4,767 7,306 8,477 44,499 75,198 22,253 5,480 7,142 6,914 6,062 4,988 197,990
15 Goose Creek above Tongue River 4,906 5,011 9,233 10,526 51,560 78,270 24,483 5,480 7,566 6,914 6,182 4,988 215,479
16 Tongue River above Prairie Dog Creek 9,349 8,940 14,121 17,249 98,002 167,299 53,003 14,251 13,030 14,395 12,185 9,903 431,727
17 Prairie Dog Creek above USGS gage 06306250 991 1,816 5,423 3,027 8,112 3,531 2,223 2,239 2,303 2,132 1,815 1,449 35,063
18 Prairie Dog Creek above Tongue River 991 1,909 6,853 3,768 9,419 3,687 2,475 2,476 2,513 2,132 1,851 1,449 39,522
19 Tongue River above State Line 10,340 10,940 21,038 21,378 108,313 171,233 55,478 16,727 15,543 16,527 14,165 11,352 473,035

Table 6
Available Flow for Tongue River Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Normal Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Tongue River above Little Tongue River 4,097 3,785 4,287 6,797 31,196 40,228 14,135 5,834 4,768 5,298 4,087 3,729 128,239
2 Little Tongue River 153 146 167 389 2,860 3,579 524 0 0 224 162 140 8,344
3 Tongue River above Wolf Creek 4,440 4,054 4,518 7,186 34,055 43,806 14,659 5,834 4,768 6,046 4,654 4,166 138,186
4 Wolf Creek 549 469 459 779 4,696 6,156 603 0 66 1,000 763 615 16,155
5 Tongue River above Goose Creek 5,203 4,663 5,051 7,965 38,751 49,962 15,262 5,834 5,061 7,484 5,868 5,113 156,217
6 Big Goose Creek above Rapid Creek 1,167 1,996 2,534 3,506 12,104 24,197 4,773 2,016 1,844 1,864 1,365 1,191 58,558
7 Rapid Creek 71 105 122 0 0 1,735 104 0 0 99 90 76 2,402
8 Big Goose Creek above Beaver Creek 1,383 2,196 2,705 3,506 12,104 25,933 4,877 2,016 2,077 2,219 1,758 1,491 62,264
9 Beaver Creek 98 71 51 62 292 386 117 74 132 247 207 154 1,890
10 Big Goose Creek above Little Goose Creek 1,663 2,378 2,808 3,568 12,431 26,426 5,152 2,090 2,604 2,466 2,129 1,877 65,590
11 Little Goose Creek 2,131 2,441 2,613 3,370 9,008 9,619 1,226 1,802 2,081 3,388 2,962 2,569 43,210
12 Goose Creek above Soldier Creek 3,957 4,959 5,472 8,222 22,407 36,483 8,086 3,892 5,273 5,854 5,091 4,446 114,140
13 Soldier Creek 679 548 475 507 905 901 600 348 774 960 884 786 8,366
14 Goose Creek below Soldier Creek 4,729 5,627 6,080 8,953 24,129 38,824 8,919 4,325 6,185 6,832 6,107 5,341 126,069
15 Goose Creek above Tongue River 5,712 7,430 8,224 10,623 24,604 39,850 9,845 4,327 6,513 6,832 6,107 5,341 135,408
16 Tongue River above Prairie Dog Creek 10,970 12,129 13,293 18,588 63,356 89,813 25,107 10,161 11,574 14,317 12,091 10,471 291,870
17 Prairie Dog Creek above USGS gage 06306250 1,174 2,419 4,913 2,968 2,928 2,289 1,335 1,630 2,521 2,471 1,977 1,644 28,268
18 Prairie Dog Creek above Tongue River 1,418 3,193 6,645 3,535 3,000 2,364 1,511 1,713 2,727 2,471 1,977 1,644 32,198
19 Tongue River above State Line 12,437 15,372 19,950 22,686 66,751 92,276 27,317 11,874 14,461 16,788 14,097 12,116 326,123

Table 7
Available Flow for Tongue River Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Dry Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Tongue River above Little Tongue River 3,004 2,653 3,226 7,848 31,008 19,377 5,581 3,057 2,722 4,730 3,749 3,259 90,215
2 Little Tongue River 107 90 113 353 2,579 1,392 0 0 0 193 143 122 5,092
3 Tongue River above Wolf Creek 3,111 2,773 3,408 8,201 33,587 20,768 5,581 3,057 2,722 5,505 4,368 3,381 96,462
4 Wolf Creek 394 313 348 606 4,271 2,173 0 0 26 969 747 503 10,350
5 Tongue River above Goose Creek 3,505 3,086 3,840 8,807 37,857 22,941 5,581 3,057 3,017 6,474 5,283 3,884 107,333
6 Big Goose Creek above Rapid Creek 1,019 1,132 2,622 2,573 13,498 9,327 84 0 0 1,631 1,265 1,154 34,305
7 Rapid Creek 64 64 123 0 0 584 0 0 0 74 87 76 1,073
8 Big Goose Creek above Beaver Creek 1,216 1,276 2,789 2,573 13,498 9,911 97 102 202 1,773 1,656 1,281 36,374
9 Beaver Creek 52 29 37 0 282 192 48 12 0 174 175 100 1,101
10 Big Goose Creek above Little Goose Creek 1,312 1,341 2,868 2,573 13,779 10,333 373 376 526 1,947 1,831 1,381 38,641
11 Little Goose Creek 1,661 1,581 2,723 1,357 6,347 1,038 887 932 1,042 2,661 2,468 1,789 24,485
12 Goose Creek above Soldier Creek 2,973 2,922 5,636 6,367 20,126 15,795 2,242 1,502 2,100 4,607 4,299 3,170 71,738
13 Soldier Creek 602 514 501 598 821 810 671 379 649 909 861 638 7,952
14 Goose Creek below Soldier Creek 3,575 3,436 6,277 7,133 21,677 17,157 2,912 1,880 2,749 5,517 5,160 3,808 81,280
15 Goose Creek above Tongue River 3,575 3,436 7,041 7,615 21,726 17,598 2,912 1,880 2,749 5,517 5,160 3,808 83,018
16 Tongue River above Prairie Dog Creek 7,080 6,522 10,881 16,422 59,584 40,540 8,494 4,938 5,765 11,990 10,443 7,692 190,351
17 Prairie Dog Creek above USGS gage 06306250 938 1,975 4,793 2,043 1,678 1,279 878 1,496 1,928 2,055 1,695 1,196 21,953
18 Prairie Dog Creek above Tongue River 938 1,975 5,366 2,208 1,696 1,335 878 1,496 1,928 2,055 1,695 1,196 22,765
19 Tongue River above State Line 8,018 8,497 16,247 19,902 61,280 43,982 10,638 6,433 7,775 14,045 12,138 8,888 217,843

Table 8
Available Flow for Clear Creek Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Wet Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 North Piney Creek 225 215 333 1,155 10,872 16,085 2,167 415 182 556 400 225 32,862
2 South Piney Creek 779 712 947 1,393 6,134 20,952 8,806 2,959 1,158 1,702 1,158 889 47,589
3 Piney Creek below North & South Piney Creeks 1,004 927 1,280 2,549 17,006 37,038 10,973 3,374 1,340 2,259 1,558 1,444 80,451
4 Piney Creek below USGS gage 06323000 1,004 927 1,280 2,549 17,006 37,038 10,973 3,374 1,762 2,259 1,558 1,444 80,873
5 Piney Creek below Lake DeSmet Intake Tunnel 1,655 1,142 2,336 3,204 17,006 37,038 12,311 4,386 1,852 2,655 2,529 1,150 87,264
6 Little Piney Creek above SEO gage 642 833 1,030 904 1,426 2,311 1,336 722 707 925 830 582 12,246
7 Little Piney Creek above Piney Creek 1,058 960 1,786 904 1,426 2,311 1,434 939 743 1,087 1,346 585 14,578
8 Piney Creek below Little Piney Creek 2,712 2,191 4,172 4,108 18,431 39,348 13,745 5,325 2,595 3,742 4,072 1,736 102,179
10 Piney Creek below Box Elder Creek 2,712 2,221 4,190 4,203 18,431 39,348 13,745 5,325 2,595 3,742 4,072 1,736 102,322
11 Piney Creek above Clear Creek 2,712 3,224 5,689 5,198 18,431 39,348 13,745 5,325 2,595 3,742 4,072 1,736 105,819
12 Rock Creek 524 815 1,408 1,274 8,173 12,220 2,799 769 615 1,008 863 330 30,798
13 Johnson Creek 48 50 83 38 326 456 0 0 0 122 134 45 1,304
14 Rock Creek below Johnson Creek 573 865 1,491 1,451 9,102 12,676 2,799 769 615 1,130 997 376 32,844
15 Rock Creek above Clear Creek 573 865 1,491 1,451 9,102 12,676 2,799 769 615 1,130 997 376 32,844
16 French Creek 73 53 57 55 1,135 1,981 1,672 182 0 118 141 55 5,523
17 Clear Creek above City of Buffalo 1,046 1,423 1,982 2,929 15,386 21,221 8,254 1,672 1,168 2,226 1,945 756 60,007
18 Clear Creek above French Creek 1,046 1,423 1,982 2,929 15,449 21,221 8,254 1,672 1,168 2,226 1,945 756 60,070
19 Clear Creek above Rock Creek 1,119 1,476 2,039 2,984 16,584 23,202 9,926 1,854 1,398 2,344 2,086 811 65,823
20 Clear Creek below Rock Creek 1,691 2,341 3,530 4,435 25,686 35,878 12,725 2,624 2,014 3,474 3,084 1,186 98,668
21 Clear Creek above Healy Reservoir 1,691 2,658 3,530 4,435 25,686 35,878 12,725 2,624 2,014 4,444 3,084 1,186 99,955
23 Clear Creek above Piney Creek 1,691 3,911 4,824 5,374 25,686 35,878 12,725 2,624 2,014 4,444 3,128 1,186 103,486
24 Clear Creek above Double Crossing 4,404 7,135 10,514 10,678 44,118 75,227 26,470 7,949 4,609 8,186 7,200 2,922 209,410
25 Clear Creek below Double Crossing 4,404 7,135 10,514 10,929 44,118 75,227 26,470 7,949 4,609 8,186 7,200 2,922 209,661
26 Clear Creek above USGS gage 06324000 4,404 7,135 10,514 10,929 44,118 75,227 26,470 7,949 4,609 8,186 7,200 2,922 209,661
27 Clear Creek above Powder River 4,440 7,568 11,728 10,929 44,118 75,227 27,431 8,047 4,609 8,186 7,345 2,922 212,547
28 Powder River above Clear Creek 7,589 11,731 30,400 20,315 102,759 87,040 26,344 8,276 4,655 16,458 11,810 6,250 333,625
29 Powder River above State Line 12,118 19,360 42,163 31,243 146,877 162,267 53,775 16,330 9,263 24,643 19,325 9,172 546,537

Table 9
Available Flow for Clear Creek Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Normal Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 North Piney Creek 171 173 282 891 5,910 5,342 714 217 197 427 316 188 14,829
2 South Piney Creek 472 422 578 788 3,263 10,730 3,104 1,680 1,235 1,036 741 525 24,574
3 Piney Creek below North & South Piney Creeks 642 595 861 1,678 9,173 16,073 3,818 1,897 1,432 1,463 1,057 713 39,403
4 Piney Creek below USGS gage 06323000 642 595 861 1,678 9,173 16,073 3,818 2,047 1,432 1,463 1,057 713 39,552
5 Piney Creek below Lake DeSmet Intake Tunnel 914 656 1,389 2,465 9,915 16,073 3,818 2,631 1,858 1,463 1,668 1,036 43,887
6 Little Piney Creek above SEO gage 549 707 950 954 904 828 652 584 718 744 722 580 8,892
7 Little Piney Creek above Piney Creek 781 781 1,533 1,339 904 828 652 750 931 744 1,139 842 11,224
8 Piney Creek below Little Piney Creek 1,823 1,524 2,971 3,804 10,819 16,901 4,470 3,504 3,595 3,045 3,091 2,080 57,629
10 Piney Creek below Box Elder Creek 1,851 1,543 2,979 3,926 10,819 16,901 4,470 3,504 3,595 3,045 3,150 2,126 57,910
11 Piney Creek above Clear Creek 2,483 2,956 5,419 4,932 10,819 16,901 4,470 3,504 3,595 3,823 4,018 2,659 65,579
12 Rock Creek 283 441 1,061 766 3,283 4,820 954 479 439 545 417 297 13,787
13 Johnson Creek 28 32 62 0 0 0 0 0 0 86 74 42 324
14 Rock Creek below Johnson Creek 311 474 1,123 1,203 3,283 4,820 954 479 514 631 491 339 14,623
15 Rock Creek above Clear Creek 311 474 1,123 1,203 3,283 4,820 954 479 514 631 491 339 14,623
16 French Creek 63 45 49 67 552 1,022 619 0 0 170 125 94 2,805
17 Clear Creek above City of Buffalo 457 526 1,090 2,159 6,836 11,079 3,063 1,339 1,501 1,115 757 563 30,483
18 Clear Creek above French Creek 457 526 1,090 2,261 6,836 11,079 3,063 1,339 1,501 1,115 757 563 30,586
19 Clear Creek above Rock Creek 520 571 1,138 2,329 7,388 12,101 3,682 1,339 1,614 1,285 882 656 33,504
20 Clear Creek below Rock Creek 831 1,044 2,262 3,532 10,670 16,921 4,636 1,818 2,127 1,916 1,373 996 48,127
21 Clear Creek above Healy Reservoir 831 1,044 2,262 3,532 10,670 16,921 4,636 1,818 2,127 1,916 1,373 996 48,127
23 Clear Creek above Piney Creek 1,197 2,062 4,148 4,253 10,670 16,921 4,636 1,818 2,127 2,638 1,933 1,364 53,768
24 Clear Creek above Double Crossing 3,680 5,128 9,624 9,332 21,489 33,822 9,106 5,322 5,723 6,461 5,951 4,023 119,660
25 Clear Creek below Double Crossing 3,680 5,673 9,946 9,798 21,489 33,822 9,106 5,322 5,723 6,461 5,951 4,023 120,994
26 Clear Creek above USGS gage 06324000 3,680 5,852 10,041 9,798 21,489 33,822 9,106 5,322 6,083 6,461 5,951 4,023 121,630
27 Clear Creek above Powder River 3,734 6,701 10,850 9,798 21,489 33,822 9,635 5,322 6,083 6,523 5,951 4,023 123,932
28 Powder River above Clear Creek 6,519 13,902 25,996 22,124 40,971 37,368 14,105 6,557 6,452 9,968 9,003 6,715 199,680
29 Powder River above State Line 10,319 20,648 36,869 31,922 62,461 71,190 23,837 11,879 12,535 16,672 14,954 10,739 324,023

Table 10
Available Flow for Clear Creek Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Dry Year Hydrologic Conditions

Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 North Piney Creek 102 96 127 1,422 3,684 1,116 263 77 61 294 179 116 7,536
2 South Piney Creek 284 260 331 758 2,029 4,195 1,770 707 436 680 373 306 12,129
3 Piney Creek below North & South Piney Creeks 387 356 458 2,180 5,713 5,311 2,033 784 497 974 552 422 19,666
4 Piney Creek below USGS gage 06323000 387 356 458 2,180 5,713 5,311 2,871 1,073 1,094 974 552 422 21,391
5 Piney Creek below Lake DeSmet Intake Tunnel 1,168 464 548 2,517 5,713 5,311 3,138 1,668 1,621 974 1,305 1,262 25,688
6 Little Piney Creek above SEO gage 627 589 941 809 263 534 660 538 586 766 760 636 7,708
7 Little Piney Creek above Piney Creek 1,894 768 1,128 934 263 534 721 836 868 766 1,799 1,901 12,411
8 Piney Creek below Little Piney Creek 3,181 1,307 1,717 3,451 5,976 5,845 3,859 3,013 2,522 3,235 3,416 3,176 40,699
10 Piney Creek below Box Elder Creek 3,181 1,307 1,717 3,657 5,976 5,845 3,859 3,013 2,522 3,235 3,416 3,176 40,905
11 Piney Creek above Clear Creek 3,670 1,828 2,931 3,810 5,976 5,845 3,859 3,013 2,522 4,247 4,579 3,176 45,456
12 Rock Creek 315 485 904 173 2,269 617 0 0 0 409 379 342 5,890
13 Johnson Creek 28 30 47 0 0 0 0 0 0 59 60 39 263
14 Rock Creek below Johnson Creek 343 515 951 905 2,269 617 146 97 111 467 439 381 7,241
15 Rock Creek above Clear Creek 343 515 951 905 2,269 617 146 97 111 467 439 381 7,241
16 French Creek 66 47 44 0 410 161 240 0 0 180 138 90 1,376
17 Clear Creek above City of Buffalo 643 919 1,106 2,403 4,118 2,681 530 339 322 1,000 871 776 15,707
18 Clear Creek above French Creek 643 919 1,106 2,403 4,118 2,681 530 339 322 1,000 871 776 15,707
19 Clear Creek above Rock Creek 709 966 1,150 2,403 4,528 2,841 769 339 322 1,180 1,009 867 17,082
20 Clear Creek below Rock Creek 1,052 1,480 2,101 3,308 6,797 3,458 915 436 433 1,647 1,448 1,248 24,323
21 Clear Creek above Healy Reservoir 1,052 1,480 2,101 3,308 6,797 3,458 915 436 433 1,647 1,448 1,248 24,323
23 Clear Creek above Piney Creek 1,294 2,120 3,625 3,308 6,797 3,458 915 436 433 2,440 2,165 1,287 28,278
24 Clear Creek above Double Crossing 4,964 3,949 6,584 7,413 12,773 9,303 4,774 3,449 2,955 6,687 6,744 4,462 74,056
25 Clear Creek below Double Crossing 4,964 3,949 8,902 8,139 12,773 9,303 4,774 3,449 2,955 6,687 6,744 4,462 77,102
26 Clear Creek above USGS gage 06324000 4,964 3,949 8,956 8,554 12,773 9,400 4,774 3,449 3,482 6,687 6,744 4,462 78,194
27 Clear Creek above Powder River 4,964 3,949 9,016 8,554 12,773 10,282 4,774 3,698 3,482 7,125 7,038 4,462 80,118
28 Powder River above Clear Creek 6,602 9,561 18,787 13,486 20,647 10,304 5,594 3,013 2,122 8,145 8,998 5,803 113,062
29 Powder River above State Line 11,567 13,510 27,822 22,040 33,420 20,735 10,368 6,822 5,603 15,447 16,172 10,265 193,770

Table 11
Available Flow for Crazy Woman Creek Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Wet Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Kelly Creek 10 8 8 98 679 731 180 95 20 17 13 11 1,870
2 Little North Fork Crazy Woman Creek 22 18 19 214 1,499 1,602 371 182 36 38 29 25 4,055
3 North Fork Crazy Woman Creek 79 57 69 761 7,592 10,292 1,619 714 143 141 98 87 21,650
4 N Fk Crazy Woman Cr bel. Kelly & Little N Fk 111 84 96 1,073 9,769 12,626 2,170 990 199 195 139 124 27,575
5 Muddy Creek 17 14 16 198 1,347 1,398 318 150 19 27 20 18 3,541
6 Billy Creek 10 9 12 137 443 401 93 77 16 12 10 10 1,230
7 N Fk Crazy Woman Cr bel. Muddy & Billy Cr 137 107 123 1,408 11,559 14,425 2,581 1,217 234 234 169 152 32,346
8 Middle Fork Crazy Woman Creek 75 60 82 885 5,421 6,630 1,386 865 177 108 79 75 15,842
9 Crazy Woman Cr above S Fk Crazy Woman Cr 213 167 205 2,293 16,980 21,055 3,967 2,082 411 342 248 227 48,189
10 Crazy Woman Cr above Trabing Bridge 213 167 205 2,705 16,980 21,055 3,967 2,082 411 342 248 227 48,600
11 Crazy Woman Cr above Upper Station 792 1,494 2,802 3,472 20,742 21,055 3,967 2,082 411 2,439 1,522 720 61,498

Table 12
Avaliable Flow for Crazy Woman Creek Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Normal Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Kelly Creek 9 7 8 64 279 283 86 37 20 17 11 11 831
2 Little North Fork Crazy Woman Creek 21 15 17 136 598 587 160 65 32 39 26 25 1,720
3 North Fork Crazy Woman Creek 67 49 58 538 3,544 3,251 780 279 133 128 87 82 8,995
4 N Fk Crazy Woman Cr bel. Kelly & Little N Fk 97 71 83 739 4,421 4,120 1,025 380 185 184 124 117 11,546
5 Muddy Creek 16 12 14 125 511 470 87 26 0 28 18 18 1,325
6 Billy Creek 9 8 10 74 179 143 39 39 8 12 9 9 539
7 N Fk Crazy Woman Cr bel. Muddy & Billy Cr 122 91 107 937 5,111 4,734 1,151 445 193 224 151 144 13,410
8 Middle Fork Crazy Woman Creek 64 53 75 652 2,684 2,366 667 344 90 100 70 70 7,235
9 Crazy Woman Cr above S Fk Crazy Woman Cr 186 144 182 1,589 7,795 7,100 1,818 789 283 324 221 215 20,645
10 Crazy Woman Cr above Trabing Bridge 186 144 182 1,589 7,795 7,100 2,075 959 812 324 221 215 21,602
11 Crazy Woman Cr above Upper Station 656 1,679 2,626 3,560 7,795 7,100 2,075 1,016 812 1,321 1,184 786 30,610

Table 13
Available Flow for Crazy Woman Creek Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Dry Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Kelly Creek 10 7 8 39 57 54 0 0 0 17 11 12 215
2 Little North Fork Crazy Woman Creek 24 16 19 79 121 99 0 0 0 38 24 27 446
3 North Fork Crazy Woman Creek 71 47 58 365 620 511 0 0 0 124 74 79 1,949
4 N Fk Crazy Woman Cr bel. Kelly & Little N Fk 105 71 84 483 798 663 0 0 0 179 109 118 2,610
5 Muddy Creek 19 14 17 68 104 33 0 0 0 30 19 20 325
6 Billy Creek 11 9 12 39 38 4 0 0 0 13 9 10 145
7 N Fk Crazy Woman Cr bel. Muddy & Billy Cr 135 94 114 590 941 700 0 0 0 222 137 148 3,080
8 Middle Fork Crazy Woman Creek 76 59 79 423 501 453 0 0 0 108 67 73 1,839
9 Crazy Woman Cr above S Fk Crazy Woman Cr 210 153 193 1,013 1,442 1,153 0 0 0 330 204 221 4,918
10 Crazy Woman Cr above Trabing Bridge 210 153 193 1,013 1,442 1,788 532 168 123 330 204 221 6,377
11 Crazy Woman Cr above Upper Station 836 1,031 1,904 2,113 3,540 2,361 532 168 123 1,022 1,135 754 15,520

Table 14
Available Flow for Powder River Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Wet Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Buffalo Creek 195 181 273 618 3,342 1,414 0 0 0 202 255 208 6,687
2 Middle Fork Powder River1 51 85 362 1,601 11,430 6,449 418 268 600 117 242 85 21,707
3 Middle Fork Powder River below Buffalo Creek 913 974 1,395 2,874 14,771 7,863 418 268 600 1,221 1,403 819 33,518
4 Beaver Creek 1,063 1,113 1,311 1,181 2,657 1,489 258 263 641 1,022 1,079 889 12,967
5 Beaver Creek below Blue Creek 1,063 1,187 1,355 1,181 2,657 1,489 258 263 641 1,212 1,283 889 13,479
6 Middle Fork Powder River below Beaver Creek 1,975 2,273 2,817 4,055 17,429 9,352 676 531 1,241 2,432 2,927 1,708 47,417
7 Middle Fk Powder River above Red Fk Powder 1,975 2,466 2,997 4,055 17,429 9,352 676 531 1,241 2,432 2,928 1,708 47,791
8 Red Fork Powder River 1,940 2,358 2,799 3,040 12,699 6,977 536 404 926 2,465 2,883 1,709 38,738
9 Middle Fk Powder River above N Fk Powder 3,915 4,824 5,796 7,095 30,128 16,330 1,212 935 2,167 4,898 6,001 3,418 86,718
10 North Fork Powder River 1,145 1,291 1,288 716 5,136 4,353 98 48 156 1,698 1,822 1,004 18,757
11 Powder River below N & Middle Fks Powder 5,060 6,115 7,085 7,811 35,264 20,683 1,310 983 2,323 6,596 7,823 4,422 105,474
12 Powder River above South Fork Powder 5,060 6,115 7,805 7,811 42,733 37,477 3,051 983 2,323 9,932 7,823 4,422 134,816
13 South Fork Powder River 229 1,369 8,011 6,589 17,715 5,530 1,989 2,067 15 418 370 123 44,427
14 Powder River above Salt Creek 5,290 7,484 15,096 14,400 60,729 43,564 5,694 3,051 2,642 10,350 8,193 4,544 181,036
15 Salt Creek 1,452 2,090 4,095 2,469 12,546 7,727 9,183 1,613 1,638 3,694 1,879 993 49,377
16 Powder River below Salt Creek 6,741 9,573 19,191 16,870 73,310 51,299 14,882 4,663 4,280 14,044 10,072 5,537 230,461
17 Powder River above Crazy Woman Creek 6,741 9,573 23,790 16,870 80,197 61,924 20,283 5,915 4,280 14,044 10,072 5,537 259,255
18 Crazy Woman Creek above Powder River 785 1,487 3,459 3,445 22,562 25,117 5,101 2,206 375 2,414 1,505 712 69,167
19 Powder River below Crazy Woman Creek 7,527 11,060 27,253 20,315 102,759 87,040 25,422 8,175 4,655 16,458 11,577 6,250 328,489

Note: 1 Constrained by Instream Flow Rights of 12 cfs (July 1 - March 31) and 25 cfs (April 1 - June 30).

Table 15
Available Flow for Powder River Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Normal Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Buffalo Creek 202 190 267 694 2,090 100 0 0 0 236 231 214 4,226
2 Middle Fork Powder River1 0 0 0 280 6,819 2,957 0 0 0 0 0 0 10,056
3 Middle Fork Powder River below Buffalo Creek 745 968 1,324 3,152 10,841 6,385 399 261 570 881 1,085 821 27,431
4 Beaver Creek 964 1,244 1,384 1,175 1,729 1,474 233 240 553 956 1,228 988 12,166
5 Beaver Creek below Blue Creek 964 1,290 1,402 1,175 1,729 1,566 233 240 553 956 1,228 988 12,322
6 Middle Fork Powder River below Beaver Creek 1,709 2,258 2,727 4,327 12,569 8,716 632 500 1,123 1,837 2,312 1,809 40,519
7 Middle Fk Powder River above Red Fk Powder 1,709 2,525 3,423 4,327 12,569 8,716 632 500 1,123 1,837 2,312 1,809 41,483
8 Red Fork Powder River 1,658 2,396 3,155 3,347 7,408 4,935 393 310 647 1,790 2,277 1,788 30,105
9 Middle Fk Powder River above N Fk Powder 3,367 4,922 6,579 7,674 19,977 13,651 1,025 811 1,770 3,627 4,589 3,597 71,587
10 North Fork Powder River 971 1,272 1,451 997 2,629 1,918 0 0 5 1,284 1,500 1,119 13,145
11 Powder River below N & Middle Fks Powder 4,338 6,193 8,029 8,671 22,606 16,087 1,025 811 1,775 4,911 6,089 4,716 85,251
12 Powder River above South Fork Powder 4,338 6,653 8,029 9,371 22,606 17,055 1,908 821 2,730 5,790 6,089 4,716 90,107
13 South Fork Powder River 132 1,287 7,025 5,987 6,835 2,093 1,132 1,699 17 188 213 112 26,720
14 Powder River above Salt Creek 4,470 7,940 15,054 15,358 29,441 19,403 3,580 3,010 3,353 6,189 6,302 4,828 118,929
15 Salt Creek 1,306 2,532 3,882 3,239 3,750 4,823 5,081 1,705 2,350 2,399 1,540 1,114 33,722
16 Powder River below Salt Creek 5,776 10,472 18,936 18,597 33,192 24,225 8,661 4,715 5,703 8,588 7,842 5,943 152,650
17 Powder River above Crazy Woman Creek 5,776 10,472 21,140 18,597 33,192 29,159 11,002 5,572 5,732 8,588 7,842 5,943 163,014
18 Crazy Woman Creek above Powder River 648 1,669 2,919 3,526 7,779 8,209 2,328 985 720 1,286 1,162 773 32,004
19 Powder River below Crazy Woman Creek 6,424 12,141 24,059 22,124 40,971 37,368 13,330 6,557 6,452 9,874 9,003 6,715 195,018

Note: 1 Constrained by Instream Flow Rights of 12 cfs (July 1 - March 31) and 25 cfs (April 1 - June 30).

Table 16
Available Flow for Powder River Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Dry Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Buffalo Creek 187 169 214 298 909 0 0 0 0 167 206 197 2,347
2 Middle Fork Powder River1 0 0 0 425 3,840 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4,265
3 Middle Fork Powder River below Buffalo Creek 633 799 1,072 2,985 6,625 2,576 240 219 360 586 829 597 17,521
4 Beaver Creek 921 1,164 1,365 961 943 830 199 248 405 820 1,096 817 9,767
5 Beaver Creek below Blue Creek 921 1,164 1,399 961 943 846 199 248 405 820 1,096 817 9,817
6 Middle Fork Powder River below Beaver Creek 1,553 1,964 2,471 3,946 7,568 3,421 438 467 765 1,407 1,925 1,414 27,338
7 Middle Fk Powder River above Red Fk Powder 1,553 1,964 2,651 3,946 7,568 3,421 438 467 765 1,407 1,925 1,414 27,518
8 Red Fork Powder River 1,544 1,892 2,451 2,332 3,262 1,603 205 268 358 1,487 1,903 1,435 18,740
9 Middle Fk Powder River above N Fk Powder 3,097 3,856 5,101 6,278 10,831 5,024 643 735 1,123 2,894 3,828 2,849 46,258
10 North Fork Powder River 919 1,089 1,278 385 1,069 0 0 0 0 1,090 1,288 917 8,036
11 Powder River below N & Middle Fks Powder 4,016 4,945 6,379 6,662 11,900 5,024 643 735 1,123 3,984 5,116 3,766 54,294
12 Powder River above South Fork Powder 4,016 4,945 6,379 6,662 11,900 5,024 900 735 1,123 4,159 5,229 3,766 54,840
13 South Fork Powder River 94 1,074 3,574 2,698 3,480 564 377 864 6 90 121 84 13,026
14 Powder River above Salt Creek 4,110 6,019 9,953 9,360 15,380 5,588 1,886 1,599 1,129 4,674 5,648 3,850 69,196
15 Salt Creek 1,660 2,515 2,780 2,108 1,851 1,044 3,197 1,054 924 1,898 1,799 1,206 22,035
16 Powder River below Salt Creek 5,770 8,534 12,733 11,468 17,231 6,632 5,083 2,652 2,053 6,572 7,446 5,056 91,231
17 Powder River above Crazy Woman Creek 5,770 8,534 16,245 11,468 17,231 7,179 5,083 2,652 2,053 6,655 7,507 5,056 95,434
18 Crazy Woman Creek above Powder River 832 1,028 2,418 2,018 3,415 2,241 551 158 69 988 1,114 747 15,539
19 Powder River below Crazy Woman Creek 6,602 9,561 18,663 13,486 20,647 9,420 5,594 2,810 2,122 7,643 8,622 5,803 110,973

Note: 1 Constrained by Instream Flow Rights of 12 cfs (July 1 - March 31) and 25 cfs (April 1 - June 30).

Table 17
Available Flow for Little Powder River Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Wet Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Little Powder River above USGS gage 06324925 562 7,548 14,241 2,860 9,079 2,733 377 279 53 2,316 180 143 40,372
2 Little Powder River above USGS gage 06324970 1,195 7,548 14,241 2,860 13,237 3,354 1,044 426 226 2,722 485 375 47,714
3 Little Powder River above State Line 1,203 7,553 14,243 2,860 13,237 3,354 1,044 426 226 2,782 520 391 47,838

Table 18
Available Flow for Little Powder River Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Normal Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Little Powder River above USGS gage 06324925 405 1,109 1,553 1,119 1,970 1,683 625 309 246 283 144 65 9,511
2 Little Powder River above USGS gage 06324970 548 1,493 2,209 1,396 2,190 1,894 674 337 268 450 254 142 11,853
3 Little Powder River above State Line 556 1,497 2,210 1,396 2,190 1,894 674 337 268 504 289 159 11,974

Table 19
Available Flow for Little Powder River Basin (Acre-Feet) -
Dry Year Hydrologic Conditions
Reach Reach Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
1 Little Powder River above USGS gage 06324925 24 319 399 284 474 220 64 74 13 19 26 30 1,946
2 Little Powder River above USGS gage 06324970 60 481 630 344 560 239 105 74 17 41 54 69 2,674
3 Little Powder River above State Line 63 482 630 344 560 239 105 74 43 53 69 75 2,737

Tongue River

The allocable flows of the Tongue River drainage are to be divided between the two States in accordance with the following percentages per the Yellowstone River Compact:

Wyoming 40%
Montana 60%
The State of Montana sponsored a study in 1990/1991 to determine the amount of water available for storage in the, then proposed, enlargement of Tongue River Reservoir (GeoResearch Inc., July 18, 1991). The State of Wyoming also made a determination of Wyoming's supplemental water needs for pre-1950 water rights during this same time frame (Lowry, June 19, 1990). HKM utilized information from both of these sources in evaluating Wyoming's share of Tongue River water.

This evaluation is based on the following assumptions:

The range of estimates of remaining allocable flow for the State of Wyoming then centers around what adjustments are to be made to the flows at Miles City to account for unused pre-1950 rights and supplemental supplies to pre-1950 rights. Only the remaining flow, after these adjustments are made, is available for allocation. As one might imagine, the two States have different views on this matter.

In a letter sent to the State of Montana in 1990, Wyoming has claimed a need for 18,702 acre-feet of additional water to supplement the supply of pre-1950 rights (Lowry, June 19, 1990). To fully supply these needs, additional reservoir storage with pre-1950 storage rights would likely be required.

The work sponsored by the State of Montana in 1990/1991 makes the assumption that the following four adjustments should be made to the streamflow at Miles City to account for unused pre-1950 rights or supplemental supplies to pre-1950 rights (GeoResearch Inc., July 18, 1991).

  1. Depletions for Northern Cheyenne tribal water rights (31,800 acre-feet),
  2. Winter bypass flow at Tongue River Dam (23,800 acre-feet),
  3. Depletions for the unused 1924 priority USDA irrigation project near Miles City (1,900 acre- feet),
  4. Depletions for supplemental supplies to pre-1950 rights on tributaries to the Tongue River in Montana (9,500 acre-feet).
The winter bypass flow at Tongue River Dam is based on an agreement between the State of Montana and the Tongue River Water Users in the late 1930's to maintain adequate flow to keep the river free of ice and to allow for stock water use. Because this is not a formal water right, its validity under the Yellowstone River Compact is a matter of legal interpretation. Montana water law does not allow for supplemental water rights and, similar to Wyoming, development of supplemental water supplies would likely require reservoir storage under pre-1950 storage rights in order to be exempt from Compact constraints.

In order to represent the wide range of possible interpretations, HKM has made two estimates of Wyoming's remaining allocation of Tongue River water per the Yellowstone River Compact (a conservative estimate and a liberal estimate) as summarized in Table 21. For the liberal estimate, the flow at Miles City is only adjusted to reflect increased depletions for supplemental supply to pre-1950 rights in Wyoming. For the conservative estimate, all of the aforementioned adjustments are included. The actual remaining allocation, to finally be determined at some undefined time in the future, will likely fall somewhere in the middle of this range of estimates.

Table 21
Wyoming's Remaining Allocation of Available Flow per Yellowstone River Compact
Hydrologic Condition Tongue River Basin Powder River Basin
Conservative Estimate Liberal Estimate
Wet Years 163,000 189,000 211,500
Normal Years 90,000 117,000 131,100
Dry Years 40,000 67,000 74,300

The derivation of these estimates is described on the worksheet provided with this memorandum. The Wyoming Water Planning Program estimated Wyoming's average annual unused and unappropriated portion of the Tongue River to be 96,400 acre-feet for the 1948 through 1968 study period (SEO, 1972).

Powder River

The allocable flows of the Powder River drainage are to be divided between the two States in accordance with the following percentages per the Yellowstone River Compact:

Wyoming 42%
Montana 58%
Wyoming's allocation of the Powder River is based on the estimate reported in the previous water plan as directed by the SEO (Tavelli, October 2001). This estimate has, however, been adjusted to reflect the current study period. The water availability presented in the 1972 water plan was based on the 21-year study period of 1948 through 1968; whereas, the current study utilizes the 30-year period 1970 through 1999. The average annual flow of the Powder River near Locate for the 1948 . 1968 study period is 377,100. The corresponding average for the 1970 . 1999 study period is 424,400. Wyoming's average annual unused and unappropriated portion of the Powder River estimated through the earlier study is 120,700 acre-feet. This value is adjusted upwards by 12.5% to 135,800 to reflect the somewhat wetter average annual flow during the current study period. Wyoming's allocation of the available flows of the Powder River is summarized in Table 21 for each of the three hydrologic conditions. The derivation of these estimates is described on the worksheet provided with this memorandum.

REFERENCES

GeoResearch Inc., July 18, 1991. Tongue River Water Allocation Model Program Documentation, for Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Helena, Montana

HKM Engineering Inc., 2002. Environmental Water Uses, Technical Memorandum, Powder/Tongue River Basin Plan. Billings, Montana

HKM Engineering Inc., 2002. Spreadsheet Model Development and Calibration, Technical Memorandum, Powder/Tongue River Basin Plan. Billings, Montana

HKM Engineering Inc., 2002. Surface Water Hydrology, Technical Memorandum, Powder/Tongue River Basin Plan. Billings, Montana

Lord Consulting, 2002, Legal and Institutional Constraints, Technical Memorandum, Powder/Tongue River Basin Plan. Laramie, Wyoming

Lowry, Sue, Wyoming Interstate Streams Engineer. June 19, 1990, Letter to Glen McDonald, Supervisor Project Rehabilitation Section, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

Tavelli, Chace, Office of the Wyoming State Engineer. October 5, 2001, Letter to Wade Irion, Project Manager, HKM Engineering regarding Compact allocations of available flow

Wyoming State Engineer's Office (SEO), April 1972, Wyoming Water Planning Program, Report 10, Water & Related Land Resources of Northeastern Wyoming, Cheyenne, Wyoming

Wyoming State Engineer's Office (SEO), 1982. Documents on the Use and Control of Wyoming's Interstate Streams - Compacts, Treaties, and Court Decrees, Cheyenne, Wyoming