POPO AGIE RIVER WATERSHED INVENTORY AND ASSESSMENT

摘要

The Popo Agie River watershed is located on the eastern flank of the Wind RiverMountains and incorporates the City of Lander, Wyoming. The city has witnessedconsiderable growth and increased demands upon its resources, particularly, with respectto water resources. In support of local efforts to identify potential conflicts and solutions towater related issues, an in-depth watershed inventory and assessment was conducted. Thepurpose of the study was to identify water supply needs and to develop a watershedmanagement plan identifying problems within the watershed and providing practicaleconomic solutions.The study was a comprehensive multi-disciplinary evaluation of existing conditionsincluding the evaluation of runoff quantity and timing, inventory of existing irrigation systems,geomorphic investigation, identification of flood prone areas, identification of water supplyneeds for fisheries, wildlife, municipalities, and irrigation; and facilitation of public participationand consensus building among local entities, and evaluation of alternative sources of funding.Information regarding the project was incorporated into a comprehensive GIS to facilitatedata management, analysis, and presentation. Unique to the GIS were several featuresdeveloped by the project team, including geomorphic tools and incorporation of photographs,spreadsheets, and documents. Innovative techniques of incorporating information from otherelectronic media to create an all-inclusive “clearing house” of available information, data, andanalysis were developed.A water budget spreadsheet model of the basin was developed to determineavailability of water, feasibility of future projects, and identification of problem areas. Datainput includes adjudicated water rights, irrigation cropping patterns and irrigation methods,return flow estimates, surface hydrologic inflow, and additional water demands.A comprehensive Watershed Management Plan and Irrigation System RehabilitationPlan was prepared which outlined alternatives which could be evaluated and pursued toimprove conditions in the watershed. Recommendations included modification of existingstorage sites, improvements to irrigation infrastructure and application methods, channel restoration and improvement projects, water quality management practices, and flood controlalternatives.The multi-disciplinary approach to watershed evaluation provided a “snapshot” of thewatershed’s health and condition. Erosion and sediment control was identified as a key factorto restoration of watershed health.