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This is a digital document from the collections of the Wyoming Water Resources Data System (WRDS) Library. For additional information about this document and the document conversion process, please contact WRDS at [email protected] and include the phrase “Digital Documents” in your subject heading. To view other documents please visit the WRDS Library online at: http://library.wrds.uwyo.edu Mailing Address: Water Resources Data System University of Wyoming, Dept 3943 1000 E University Avenue Laramie, WY 82071 Physical Address: Wyoming Hall, Room 249 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: (307) 766-6651 Fax: (307) 766-3785 Funding for WRDS and the creation of this electronic document was provided by the Wyoming Water Development Commission (http://wwdc.state.wy.us) VOLUME 11-A OCCURRENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUND WATER IN THE BIGHORN BASIN, WYOMING Robert Libra, Dale Doremus , Craig Goodwin Project Manager Craig Eisen Water Resources Research Institute University of Wyoming Report to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Contract Number G 008269-791 Project Officer Paul Osborne June, 1981 INTRODUCTION This report is the second of a series of hydrogeologic basin reports that define the occurrence and chemical quality of ground water within Wyoming. Information presented in this report has been obtained from several sources including available U.S. Geological Survey publications, the Wyoming State Engineer's Office, the Wyoming Geological Survey, and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. The purpose of this report is to provide background information for implementation of the Underground Injection Control Program (UIC). The UIC program, authorized by the Safe Drinking Water Act (P.L. 93-523), is designed to improve the protection of ground-water resources from possible contamination caused by injection of waste brines, sewage, and other fluids. This report identifies the stratigraphic limits, hydraulic properties, chemical quality, and use of the major water-bearing units within the Bighorn basin, and can therefore be used to assist identification of the aquifers in need of protection. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Page I . SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ................. I1 . GEOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGIC SETTING ........... PHYSIOGRAPHY .................. Topography .................. Climate and Surface Drainage ......... HUMAN GEOGWHY ................. Population Distribution ........... Land Use and Ownership ............ GEOLOGY ..................... Stratigraphy and Depositional History .... Structure .................. Hydrostratigraphy .............. MAJOR GROUND-WATER USERS ............ Petroleum Industry .............. Agriculture ................. Irrigation ................ Livestock ................ Underground Drinking Water Supplies ..... Private Domestic Use ........... Public Drinking Water Supplies ...... Surface Water Use .............. IV. HYDROGEOLOGY .................... FLATHEAD AQUIFER ................ Hydrologic Properties ............ CHAPTER Page PALEOZOIC AQUIFER SYSTEM ............ Hydrologic Properties ............ Permeability. .............. Specific Capacity ............ Transmissivity. ............. Ground-Water Movement ............ UPPER PALEOZOIC AND LOWER AND MIDDLE MESOZOIC AQUIFERS. ............... Hydrologic Properties ............ Permeability. .............. Specific Capacity ............ Transmissivity. ............. Ground-Water Movement ............ UPPER CRETACEOUS-TERTIARY AQUIFER SYSTEM .... Hydrologic Properties ............ Specific Capacity ............ Ground-Water Movement ............ QUATERNARY AQUIFERS. .............. Hydrologic Properties ............ Specific Capacity ............ Transmissivities. ............ Ground-Water Movement ............ V. WATERQUALITY. ................... GENERAL WATER QUALITY. ............. Flathead Aquifer. .............. Paleozoic Aquifer System. .......... Upper Paleozoic and Lower and Middle Mesozoic Aquifers ............. Upper Cretaceous-Tertiary Aquifer System. .. Quaternary Aquifers ............. Absaroka Volcanics. ............. CHAPTER Page DRINKING WATER STANDARDS ............ Primary Standards .............. Fluoride ................. Nitrate ................. Other Primary Standards ......... Secondary Standards ............. Total Dissolved Solids .......... Sulfate ................. Chloride ................. Radionuclear Species ............. VI. REFERENCES ..................... APPENDIX A: Non-Municipal and Non-Community Public Drinking Water Supplies .......... APPENDIX B: Geologic Properties of Major Water-Bearing Strata ............... APPENDIX C: Chemical Analyses of Bighorn Basin Ground Waters Sampled by WRRI ........... APPENDIX D: Location and Numbering System ...... LIST OF FIGURES Page 11-1. Location and drainage map of the Bighorn basin . 9 11-2. Population map of the Bighorn basin. ....... 14 11-3, Stratigraphic section of the Bighorn basin .... 17 11-4. Geologic cross sections through the Bighorn basin. ...................... 11-5. Major structural features of the Bighorn basin, Wyoming. ..................... 11-6. Generalized hydrostratigraphy of the Bighorn basin, Wyoming .................. 111-1. Location of public drinking water supplies in the Bighorn basin. ................ IV-1. Potentiometric surface of the Tensleep aquifer in the Bighorn basin ............... IV-2. Generalized Upper Paleo zoic-Lower Mesozoic stratigraphy of the Bighorn basin. ........ V-1. Major ion composition of waters from the Paleozoic aquifer system, Bighorn basin, Wyoming. ..................... V-2. Major ion composition of waters from the Phosphoria Formation, Bighorn basin, Wyoming ... V-3. Major ion composition of waters from the Cloverly Formation, Bighorn basin, Wyoming .... V-4. Major ion composition of waters from the Frontier Formation, Bighorn basin, Wyoming .... V-5. Major ion composition of waters from the Upper Cretaceous-Tertiary aquifer system, Bighorn basin, Wyoming .................. V-6. Major ion composition of waters from Quaternary flood plain aquifers, Bighorn basin, Wyoming ... Figure Page v-7. Major ion composition of waters from Quaternary terrace aquifers, Bighorn basin, Wyoming ..... 95 . V-8. Location of ground-water fluoride concentrations greater than 2.0 mg/l. .............. 97 v-9. Variations in fluoride concentrat ions in Lance Formation waters, Manderson, Wyoming ....... 99 V-10. Location of ground-water nitrate concentrations inexcessof10mg/lN03-N ............ 100 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 11-1. Surface drainage in the Bighorn basin. ....... 11 11-2. Populations of counties and population centers in the Bighorn basin ............ 13 11-3. Land cover in the Bighorn basin. .......... 16 111-1. Summary of ground-water use, Bighorn basin, Wyoming. ...................... 27 111-2. Number of public drinking water supplies in the Bighorn basin by service category. ......... 33 111-3. Municipal ground-water supplies in the Bighorn basin. ................... 36 IV-1. Lithologic and hydrologic characteristics of rock units in the Bighorn basin, Wyoming ...... 41 IV-2. Hydrologic properties of Paleozoic aquifer system, Bighorn basin, Wyoming ........... 51 IV-3. Reported specific capacities of wells in the Paleozoic aquifer system, Bighorn basin, Wyoming . 53 IV-4. Transmissivities of members of Paleozoic aquifer system, Bighorn basin, Wyoming ........... 55 IV-5. Hydrologic properties of Upper Paleozoic and Lower and Middle Mesozoic aquifers, Bighorn basin, Wyoming ................... 61 IV-6. Reported specific capacity for wells in the Upper Paleozoic and Lower and Middle Mesozoic aquifers, Bighorn basin, Wyoming .......... 65 IV-7. Reported specific capacity of wells in the Willwood aquifer, Upper Cretaceous-Tertiary aquifer system, Bighorn basin, Wyoming ....... 69 IV-8. Reported specific capacity and estimated transmissivity for wells completed in the Quaternary aquifers, Bighorn basin, Wyoming. .... 74 Table Page V-1. Concentration ranges for sulfate, chloride, and total dissolved solids in ground waters from the Bighorn basin, Wyoming. 102 V-2. Concentrations of radionuclear species in ground waters from the Bighorn basin, Wyoming . 105 Plate 1. Structural contour map of the Bighorn basin. 2. Permitted domestic wells in the Bighorn basin. 3. Total dissolved solids map of the Paleozoic aquifer system, Bighorn basin. 4. Total dissolved solids map of the Upper Cretaceous- Tertiary aquifer system, Bighorn basin. 5. Total dissolved solids map of the Quaternary aquifers, Bighorn basin. 'plates contained in Volume 11-B. I. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS I. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 1. Two major bedrock aquifer systems have been identified within the Bighorn basin. These are the Paleozoic and Upper Cretaceous- Tertiary aquifer systems. Additionally, several dispersed, hydro- logically isolated water-bearing units have been distinguished including the basal Cambrian sandstone, several sandstone and carbonate units within the Upper Paleozoic through Middle Mesozoic sequence, and unconsolidated deposits of Quaternary age. Aquifer recharge rates, ground-water flow paths, the extent of interformational mixing, and historic water level fluctuations are poorly known. Data concern- ing hydrologic properties are sparse, especially for pre-Tertiary strata in the central basin. 2. On the basis of available hydrologic and hydrochemical data, the Paleozoic aquifer system (Ordovician through Pennsylvanian strata) has excellent potential for producing large quantities of good quality water. The Pennsylvanian Tensleep Sandstone and Mississippian