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 111-A OCCURRENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUND WATER IN THE LARAMIE, SHIRLEY, AND HANNA BASINS, WYOMING Henry R. Richter, Jr. Water Resources Research Institute University of Wyoming Supervised by Peter W. Huntoon Department of, Geology University of Wyoming Proj ect Manager Craig Eisen Water Resources Research Institute University of Wyoming Report to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Contract Number G-008269-79 Project Officer Paul Osborne March, 1981 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I . SUMMARY OF FINDINGS .................. 11 . INTRODUCTION ..................... GENERAL ...................... Purpose ..................... Location .................... Physiographic Setting.............. Surface Drainage ................ Climate ..................... Population ................... Land Use and Ownership ............. GEOLOGY ...................... Stratigraphy .................. Structure .................... Hydrostratigraphy ................ I11 . WATERUSE ....................... DOMESTIC WATER USE ................. INDUSTRIAL WATER USE ................ Coal Industry .................. Petroleum Industry ............... Uranium Industry ................ Cement Industry ................. Timber Industry ................. AGRICULTURAL WATER USE ............... Livestock .................... Irrigation ................... IV . AQUIFERS ....................... PRINC IPAL AQUIFERS ................. Tertiary Aquifer ................ Cloverly Aquifer ................ Casper-Tensleep Aquifer ............. Chapter Page SECONDARY AQUIFERS ................. 67 Mesaverde Aquifer ................ 68 Frontier Aquifer ................ 69 Sundance Aquifer ................ 70 LOCAL GROUND-WATER SYSTEMS ............. 72 Stray Sands................... 72 Saturated Alluvium ............... 74 V . TECTONIC STRUCTURES AND GROUND-WATER CIRCULATION ... 75 HYDRAULIC IMPORTANCE OF STRUCTURES ......... 76 Fracture Controlled Springs........... 80 GROUND-WATER CIRCULATION .............. 81 Regional Ground-Water Circulation ........ 81 VI . WATER QUALITY ..................... 85 LOCAL AQUIFERS ................... 87 Saturated Alluvium ............... 87 TERTIARY AQUIFER .................. 87 MEsAVER.DE AQUIFER ................. 90 FRONTIER AQUIFER .................. 92 STRAY SAND .MUDDY SANDSTONE ............ 92 CLOVERLY AQUIFER .................. 95 SUNDANCE AQUIFER .................. 97 CASPER-TENSLEEP AQUIFER .............. 99 PRIMARY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS .......... 101 Radionuclides .................. 101 SECONDARY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS ......... 106 VII . REFERENCES ...................... 107 Chapter Page VIII. APPENDICES APPENDIX A: WELL AND SPRING NUMBERING SYSTEM ................ A-1 APPENDIX B: PERMITTED COMMUNITY PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS ............ B-1 APPENDIX C: PERMITTED NONCOMMUNITY PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS ......... C-1 APPENDIX D: CHEMICAL ANALYSES FOR SELECTED WELLS AND SPRINGS. .......... D-1 APPENDIX E: CHEMICAL ANALYSES OF GROUND WATERS SAMPLED BY WRRI IN THE LARAMIE, SHIRLEY, AND HANNA BASINS. ...... E-1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 11-1 Location of study area and principal surface drainages, Laramie , Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .................... Index map showing intermontane structural basins in Wyoming. ............... Ages, lithologies, and thicknesses of the rocks exposed in the Laramie basin, Wyoming. ..... Ages, lithologies, and thicknesses of the rocks exposed in the Shirley basin, Wyoming. ..... Ages, lithologies, and thicknesses of the rocks exposed in the Hanna basin, Wyoming. ...... Hydrologic roles and ages of the rocks in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .. Percent total water use arranged by economic sector ..................... Locations of selected petroleum test wells, Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .. Locations of major oil fields, Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. ........... Index map of location and generalized trends of selected tectonic structures in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming ....... Generalized ground-water flow directions in the Cretaceous rocks in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. ........... Generalized basin cross-section showing ground- water circulation. ............... Trilinear diagram showing chemical character- istics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Tertiary rocks in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .................... Figure Page VI-2 Trilinear diagram showing chemical character- istics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Mesaverde Formation in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .................. 91 Trilinear diagram showing chemical character- istics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Frontier Format ion in the Laramie , Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .................. 93 Trilinear diagram showing chemical character- istics of ground waters from selected wells completed in the Muddy Sandstone in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming ......... 94 Trilinear diagram showing chemical character- istics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Cloverly Formation in the Laramie , Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .................. 96 Trilinear diagram showing chemical character- istics of ground waters from selected wells completed in the Sundance Formation in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .... 98 Trilinear diagram showing chemical character- istics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Casper Formation and Tensleep Sandstone in the Laramie, Shirley, andHannabasins, Wyoming ......... 100 Index map showing locations of wells and springs where ground waters are encountered with fluoride and selenium concentrations exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1979) primary drinkingwater standards. ............. 104 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 11-1 North Platte River basin surface drainage divisions in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. ................... 11 Population by county and municipalities in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .... 13 Estimated water use for various industries for the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .. 25 Summary of water use arranged by domestic sector and source of water ............. 28 Estimated water consumption for livestock arranged by county for the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. .................. 33 Water encountered reports for selected petroleum test wells drilled in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. ............... 37 Ages, thicknesses, lithologies, and hydrologic properties of the rocks in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. ............. 48 IV- 3 Hydrologic data arranged by formation for selected water wells drilled in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. ............... 55 Hydrologic data arranged by source for selected oil and gas fields in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. ............... 62 Relationship between tectonic structures, fracturing, porosity, and hydraulic conductivity of the Casper-Tensleep aquifer in the Laramie basin, Wyoming ................... 79 Primary and secondary drinking water standards established by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(1976) .................... 102 LIST OF PLATES* Plate A-1 Location of permitted water wells with domestic use and water-bearing units, Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. B-1 Elevation of the top of the Lower Cretaceous Cloverly Formation and locations of major oil and gas fields, Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. C-1 Total dissolved solids contour map for ground water in the Tertiary aquifer, Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. C-2 Total dissolved solids contour map for ground water in the Cloverly aquifer, Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. C-3 Total dissolved solids contour map for ground water in the Sundance aquifer , Laramie , Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. C-4 Total dissolved solids contour map for ground water in the Casper-Tensleep aquifer, Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. *Plates contained in Volume 111-B. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Recognition and thanks are due to Greg Bernaski, who conscientiously assisted in obtaining and compiling various agency data used in the tables, figures, and text of this report. This report was prepared by the Wyoming Water Resources Research Institute, Paul A. Rechard, Director. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS I* -SUMMARY OF FINDINGS I. Three principal and three secondary aquifers are identified by this report in the Laramie, Shirley, and Hanna basins, Wyoming. The principal aquifers