Surface Waters of Wyoming and Their Utilization
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUBERT WORK, Secretary UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE Ons SMITH, Director Water-Supply Paper 469 SURFACE WATERS OF WYOMING AND THEIR UTILIZATION BY ROBERT FOLLANSBEE Prepared in cooperation with THE STATE OF WYOMING WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1923 ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAT BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 40 CENTS PER COPY PURCHASER AGREES NOT TO RESELL OE DISTRIBUTE THIS COPT FOR PROFIT. PUB. RES. 67, APPROVED MAT 11, 1922. CONTENTS. Introduction............................................................. ix Scope of report........... r .............................................".. 1 Arrangement of report................................................... 2 Cooperation and assistance................................................ 2 Bibliography............................................................. 3 Physical features of Wyoming............................................. 4 Boundaries and area.................................................. 4 Topography......................................................... 5 Principal drainage systems........................................... 6 Precipitation......................................................... 6 Forestation........................................................... 7 Big Horn River basin..................................................... 8 Location and boundaries.............................................. 8 Topography......................................................... 8 Precipitation............. ^, 1......................................... 9 Forestation........................................................... 10 Principal streams..................................................... 10 Wind River and the Big Horn..................................... 10 Popo Agie and Little Wind rivers................................. 11 Horse Creek..................................................... 11 Dinwoody Creek ................................................. 12 Dry Creek...................................................... 12 Willow Creek.................................................... 12 Bull Lake Credk.................................................. 12 Owl Creek....................................................... 13 Nowood Creek..................................................... 13 Greybull River.................................................. 14 Shell Creek...................................................... 14 Shoshone River................................................. 15 Measured drainage areas.............................................. 16 Gaging-station records................................................ 18 Big Horn and Wind river basins................................... 18 Horse Creek..................................................... 26 Dinwoody Creek................................................. 26 Dry Creek...................................................... 27 Willow Creek.................................................... 28 Bull Lake Creek.................................................. 28 Popo Agie and Little Wind river basins............................ 30 Owl Creek....................................................... 39 Nowood Creek basin.............................................. 40 Greybull River basin............................................ 48 Shell Creek...................................................... 50 Shoshone River.................................. ^............... 53 in IV CONTENTS. Big Horn River basin Continued. Page. Irrigation........................................................... 62 Present development............................................. 62 Big Horn River...................................... j...... 63 Greybull River.............................................. 65 Shell Creek.................................................. 65 Shoshone River............................................. 66 Future development.............................................. 67 Big Horn River............................................. 68 PopoAgie River................ 1............................. 68 GreybullRiver.............................................. 68 Nowood Creek................................................ 68 Shoshone River............................................. 69 Water supply....................................... r ............ 69 Water power......................................................... 70 Developed power................................................. 70 Big Horn River............................................. 70 Middle Fork of Popo Agie River................................ 71 Nowood Creek................................................ 71 Shoshone River............................................. 72 Undeveloped power............................................. 72 Big Horn River............................................. 72 Middle Fork of Popo Agie River............................... 75 Little Wind River........................................... 75 Tensleep Creek.............................................. 75 Paintrock Creek............................................. 76 Wood River.................................................. 76 Shell Creek.................................................. 77 Shoshone River............................................. 77 Storage.............................................................. 79 Developed sites................................................. 79 Undeveloped sites.............................. % ................ 79 Clark Fork basin........................................................ 83 General features..................................................... 83 Measured drainage areas.............................................. 84 Gaging-station records................................................ 84 Irrigation........................................................... 85 Water power....................................... 1................. 86 Developed power................................................. 86 Undeveloped power............................................. 86 Main stream...............................................7- - 86 Lake Creek........................................'......... 86 Beartooth Creek............................................. 87 Sunlight Creek............................................... 87 Dead Indian Creek.......................................... 87 Tongue River basin....................................................... 88 General features....'............-..................................... 88 Measured drainage areas.............................................. 89 Gaging-station records................................................... 89 Irrigation............................................................... 94 Present development................................................. 94 Future development................................................ 95 CONTENTS. V Tongue Eiver basin Continued. Tage. Water power........................................................... 96 Developed power................................................... 96 Tongue Eiver................................................... 96 Goose Creek... ......................^......................... 96 Undeveloped power................................ *.............. 96 Tongue Eiver............................................;.:.. 97 Goose Creek................................................... 98 Storage................................................................ 98 Powder Eiver basin........................................................ 100 General features....................................................... 100 Measured drainage areas................................................ 101 Gaging-station records.................................................... 101 Irrigation............................................................. 112 Present development............................................... 112 Future development................................................ 113 Water power........................................................... 113 Developed power.._............................................... 113 Clear Creek.................................................... 113. Piney Creek................................................... 114 Undeveloped power................................................. 114 Storage................................................................ 115 North Platte Eiver basin, exclusive of the Laramie.......................... 116 Location and boundaries. ......................i........................ 116 Topography............................................................. 117 Precipitation........................................................... 117 Forestation........................................................... 117 Principal streams....................................................... 118 North Platte Eiver................................................. 118 Douglas Creek..................................................... 119 Big Creek.......................................................... 119 French Creek...................................................... 119 Brush Creek....................................................... 120 Encampment Eiver................................................ 120 Cow Creek.........................................................