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 IV-A OCCURRENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUND WATER IN THE WIND RIVER BAS IN, WYOMING by Henry R. Richter, Jr. Water Resources Research Institute University of Wyoming Supervised by Peter W. Huntoon Department of Geology University of Wyoming Project 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 August, 1981 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Greg Bernaski conscientiously assisted in obtaining and compiling various agency data used in the figures and text of this report. The data used in Tables 111-1, 111-2, 111-5, 111-6, and VI-5 were collected by Lynn Boyd, Wyoming Water Resources Research Institute. This report was prepared by the Wyoming Water Resources Research Institute, Paul A. Rechard, Director. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Page I . SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ................. I1 . INTRODUCTION ..................... GENERAL ...................... Location ................... Geographic Setting .............. Surface Drainage ............... Climate .................... Population and Employment ........... Land Use and Ownership ............ GEOLOGY ...................... Stratigraphy ................. Structure ................... Hydrostratigraphy ............... 111 . WATER USE ...................... DOMESTIC WATER USE ................ INDUSTRIAL WATER USE ............... Uranium Industry ............... Iron Ore Industry ............... Petroleum Industry .............. AGRICULTURAL WATER USE .............. Livestock ................... Irrigation .................. IV . AQUIFERS ....................... FLATHEAD AQUIFER ................. TENSLEEP AQUIFER SYSTEM .............. PHOSPHORIA AQUIFER ................ SUNDANCE-NUGGET AQUIFER .............. CLOVERLY AQUIFER ................. CHAPTER Page MUDDY AQUIFER .................... 74 FRONTIER AQUIFER .................. 75 MESAVERDE AQUIFER .................. 77 FORT UNION-LANCE AQUIFER .............. 80 WIND RIVER AQUIFER ................. 81 ARIKAREE AQUIFER .................. 84 QUATERNARY DEPOSITS ................. 86 V . GROUND-WATER CIRCULATION ................ 89 FACTORS INFLUENCING PERMEABILITY .......... 90 REGIONAL GROUND-WATER CIRCULATION .......... 91 Ground-Water Circulation in the Quaternary ... Deposits and Arikaree Aquifer .......... 93 VI . WATERQUALITY ..................... 97 REGIONAL WATER QUALITY ............... 98 FLATHEAD AQUIFER .................. 100 TENSLEEP AQUIFER SYSTEM ............... 100 PHOSPHORIAAQUIFER ................. 103 SUNDANCE-NUGGET AQUIFER ............... 105 CLOVERLY AQUIFER .................. 106 MUDDY AQUIFER .................... 108 FRONTIER AQUIFER .................. 109 MESAVERDEAQUIFER . 111 FORTUNION-LANCEAQUIFER .............. 113 WINDRIVERAQUIFER ................. 115 ARIKAREEAQUIFER . 119 iii CHAPTER Page QUATERNARY DEPOSITS ................. 121 Glacialunits................... 121 Alluvial and Terrace Units ........... 123 PRIMARY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS .......... 126 SECONDARY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS ......... 130 Total Dissolved solids ............. 130 Chloride .................... 130 Sulfate ..................... 131 RADIONUCLIDE ANALYSES ................ 131 VII . REFERENCES ....................... 139 APPENDIX A: WELL AND SPRING NUMBERING SYSTEM ..... A-1 APPENDIX B: CHEMICAL ANALYSES FOR SELECTED WELLS AND SPRINGS, WIND RIVER BASIN, WYOMING .................. B- 1 APPENDIX C: HYDROLOGIC DATA ARRANGED BY FORMATION FOR SELECTED WATER WELLS. WIND RIVER BASIN. WYOMING ........... C-1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 11-1 Location of study area and principal surface drainages, Wind River basin, Wyoming ........ I1 Ages, lithologies, and thicknesses of the rocks exposed in the Wind River basin, Wyoming ...... 18 Index map showing intermontane structural basins in Wyoming. ................. 20 Geologic cross sections, Wind River basin, Wyoming. ...................... 2 1 Index map showing locations of geologic cross sections, Wind River basin, Wyoming. ........ 22 Hydrologic roles and ages of the rocks in the Wind River basin, Wyoming. ............. 24 Percent total water use arranged by economic sector. ...................... 30 Generalized ground-water flow directions in the Lower Cretaceous rocks, Wind River basin, Wyoming. 92 Potentiometric surface contours for the Arikaree aquifer, Wind River basin, Wyoming ......... 95 Trilinear diagram showing chemical characteristics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Tensleep aquifer system, Wind River basin, Wyoming. ............. Trilinear diagram showing chemical characteristics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Phosphoria aquifer, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................ Trilinear diagram showing chemical characteristics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Cloverly aquifer, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................ Trilinear diagram showing chemical characteristics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Frontier aquifer, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................ Figure Page VI-5 Trilinear diagram showing chemical characteristics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Mesaverde aquifer, Wind Riverbasin,Wyoming ................. 112 6 Trilinear diagram showing chemical characteristics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Fort Union-Lance aquifer, Wind River basin, Wyoming. ............. 114 VI-7 Trilinear diagram showing chemical characteristics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Wind River aquifer, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................ 116 VI-8 Trilinear diagram showing chemical characteristics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from the Arikaree aquifer, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................ 120 VI-9 Trilinear diagram showing chemical characteristics of ground waters from selected wells and springs that discharge from Quaternary deposits, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................... 122 VI-10 Map showing locations of ground-water samples where fluoride and nitrate concentrations exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1976) primary drinking water standards .......... 129 VI-11 Map showing locations of ground-water samples where uranium (U 0 ) concentrations exceed 0.010 3 8 mg/l ........................ 137 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 11-1 Bighorn River basin surface drainage diversions by tributary rank and downstream order, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................ Population by county and town, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................... Land ownership, Wind River basin, Wyoming. ..... Permitted community public water supply systems, Wind River basin, Wyoming. ............. Permitted noncommunity public water supply systems, Wind River basin, Wyoming ......... Summary of water use arranged by domestic sector and source of water, Wind River basin, Wyoming ... Estimated number of permitted private domestic use water wells arranged by formation, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................ Estimated water use for various industries, Wind River basin, Wyoming. ............. Estimated water consumption by livestock, Wind River basin, Wyoming ................ Ages, thicknesses, lithologies, and hydrologic properties of the rocks exposed in the Wind River basin, Wyoming ................ Water-encountered reports arranged by formation for selected petroleum test wells drilled in the Wind River basin, Wyoming. ........... Hydrologic data arranged by formation for selected oil and gas fields, Wind River basin, Wyoming. ... ~elationshi~between water type and total dissolved solids for ground waters in the Wind River aquifer , Wind River basin, Wyoming. Relationship between well depth, lithology, and total dissolved solids for selected alluvial and terrace wells, Wind River basin, Wyoming ...... vii Table Page VI-3 Primary and secondary drinking water standards established by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1976). ................... 127 VI-4 Results of chemical analyses arranged by formation in which sulfate concentrations exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1976) secondary drinking water standards .............. 132 VI-5 Radionuclide concentrations in ground waters from selected wells and springs, Wind River basin,Wyoming. .................. 134 viii LIST OF PLATES* Plate Elevation of the top of the Lower Cretaceous Cloverly Formation and locations of major oil and gas fields, Wind River basin, Wyoming. Location of permitted water wells with domestic use, Wind River basin, Wyoming. Total dissolved solids contour map for ground water in the Tensleep aquifer system, Wind River basin,