USE OF DYE TRACING IN WATER- RESOURCES INVESTIGATIONS IN WYOMING, 1967-94 By James F. Wilson, Jr. and James G. Rankl U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4122 Cheyenne, Wyoming 1996 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GORDON P. EATON, Director For additional information Copies of this report can be write to: purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey, WRD Branch of Information Services 2617 E. Lincolnway, Suite B Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001-5662 Denver, Colorado 80225 CONTENTS Page Abstract...........................................................^ 1 Introduction..............................................................................................._^ 2 Chronology of dye tracing in water-resources investigations in Wyoming.......................................................................... 3 Time of travel and dispersion of solutes in streams.............................................................................................................. 4 Methods....................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Wind/Bighorn River, 1971.......................................................................................................................................... 6 Green River and tributaries, 1975-77.......................................................................................................................... 8 Little Snake River, 1976-77........................................................................................................................................ 10 North Platte River, 1978, 1985.................................................................................................................................... 12 Reaeration coefficients in streams......................................................................................................................................... 14 Methods....................................................................................................................................................................... 14 North Platte River, 1985.............................................................................................................................................. 16 Discharge measurements in streams ..................................................................................................................................... 18 Methods....................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Laramie River under ice, 1967.................................................................................................................................... 20 North and South Brush Creeks, 1967-68 .................................................................................................................... 22 Physical setting ................................................................................................................................................. 22 Data collection.................................................................................................................................................. 24 Results............................................................................................................................................................... 26 South Piney Creek, 1971-78 ....................................................................................................................................... 28 Madison Limestone recharge study, 1975-78 ............................................................................................................. 30 Data collection .................................................................................................................................................. 30 Results............................................................................................................................................................... 32 Other measurements, 1971-82 .................................................................................................................................... 34 Investigations in karst terrane ............................................................................................................................................... 36 Methods...........................................................^ 36 North Fork Powder River below Dullknife Reservoir, 1970...................................................................................... 38 North Fork Crazy Woman Creek, 1974 ...................................................................................................................... 40 Little Tongue River and Tongue River Cave, 1974 .................................................................................................... 42 Middle Popo Agie River in Sinks Canyon State Park, 1983 ...................................................................................... 44 Physical setting ................................................................................................................................................. 44 Data collection .................................................................................................................................................. 46 Results............................................................................................................................................................... 48 Smith Creek below Otter Creek, 1991........................................................................................................................ 50 Other investigations .............................................................................................................................................................. 52 Methods....................................................................................................................................................................... 52 Pass Creek flow tagging, 1967.................................................................................................................................... 53 Old Faithful wastewater lagoon, 1975-76................................................................................................................... 54 Interstate Highway 25 edgedrain test, 1989................................................................................................................ 56 F.E. Warren Air Force Base fire-protection training area, 1990 ................................................................................. 58 Summary and conclusions .................................................................................................................................................... 60 References.........................................................................................................................................................^ 63 Contents iii FIGURES Page 1. Typical response curve (concentration-time curve) at a point downstream from slug injection of a solute, such as a tracer dye................................................................................................................................ 5 2. Example of dye-response curves at several sampling sites for a single injection of dye, Wind/Bighorn River, March 1971 ............................................................................................................................................ 5 3. Example of graphical relation of time of travel to distance traveled, Wind/Bighorn River, 1971........................ 5 4. Map showing location of streamflow-gaging stations and dye-injection and sampling sites, Wind/Bighorn River.......................................................................................................................................... 7 5. Graph showing relation of time of travel to water discharge, Wind/Bighorn River.............................................. 7 6. Map showing location of streamflow-gaging stations and dye-injection and sampling sites, Green River, East Fork River, Big Sandy River, Horse Creek, and Blacks Fork............................................. 9 7. Graph showing relation of mean velocity to water discharge at two streamflow-gaging stations and in a 70.3-mile reach, Green River downstream from Fontenelle Reservoir......................................................... 9 8. Map showing location of streamflow-gaging stations and dye-injection and sampling sites, Little Snake River............................................................................................................................................. 11 9. Graph showing relation of time of travel to water discharge at streamflow-gaging station 09257000, Little Snake River near Dixon, Wyoming......................................................................................................... 11 10. Map showing location of streamflow-gaging stations and dye-injection and sampling sites, North Platte River........................................................................................................................................................ 13 11-13. Graphs showing: