Platte River Wetland Hydrology Study

• Description: related to the Platte River Endangered Species Partnership ‎(aka Platte River Recovery Implementation Program or PRRIP)‎
• State: WY
• State: NE
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 2/28/1994
• Author: Thomas A. Wesche, Quentin D. Skinner, and Robert J. Henszey - Department of Range Management and Wyoming Water Resources Center, University of Wyoming, Laramie
• Title: Platte River Wetland Hydrology Study WWRC-94-07
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
LIST OF FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x111
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 4
Bio- Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 4
Hydrology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 4
METHODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 6
Study Site Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 6
Instrumentation Common to All Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 6
Study Site Descriptions and Instrumentation . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 11
Elm Creek Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 11
Rowe Sanctuary Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 12
Crane Meadows Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 15
Data Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 17
Groundwater and River Stage Hydrographs . .
17
Depth -to- Groundwater and River Stage Duration Curves
18
River Stage and River Flow Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 18
Cross - Valley Transects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 20
Groundwater -Level Contours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 20
Depth -to- Groundwater Maps . . . . . .
. . . . 21
Evapotranspiration and the Effective Plant Rooting Depth. . . . . . .
. . . . 21
Groundwater Withdrawal for Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . , 24
Separation of River Stage, Precipitation and Evapotranspiration . . . .
. . . . 24
Missing Data Estimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 25
Supplemental Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 26
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION . . . . .
28
Observed versus Long -term Precipitation and River Flows
28
Continuous Hydrologic and Soil Temperature Data . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 30
Groundwater and River Stage Hydrographs . .
. . . 34
Depth -to- Groundwater and River Stage Duration Curves . . . . . . .
. . . . . 43
River Stage and River Flow Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 49
Cross - Valley Transects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 53
Groundwater -Level Contours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 63
Depth -to- Groundwater Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 79
Effective Plant Rooting Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 89
A