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<br />" <br /> <br />\OO't'ZGB <br /> <br />- 4 - <br /> <br />future development in Wyoming. All tributaries of the Yellowstone River are <br /> <br />covered by this compact, including the Big Horn River, Clarks Fork, Tongue <br /> <br />River, and Powder River. <br /> <br />The Snake River drainage in Northwestern Wyoming is definitely <br /> <br />an area of surplus. <br /> <br />The Snake River compact of 1949 between Idaho and <br /> <br />Wyoming limits the amount of water which Wyoming can use, but the limitation <br /> <br />makes ample provision for future development in Wyoming to take care of any <br /> <br />forseeable future use. This compact provides that no water from the Snake <br /> <br />River shall be diverted in Wyoming for use outside the drainage area of the <br /> <br />Snake River, without the approval of Idaho" Irrigation use in the Snake River <br /> <br />drainage in Wyoming is not particularly efficient because of the fact that <br /> <br />there is more than ample water to meet the demand in all but a few isolated <br /> <br />situations. Most of the irrigated area is in the valleys immediately adjacent <br /> <br />to the streams and return flows usually get back into the streams quite <br /> <br />rapicl1y ia- this area, so the application of large quantities of water for the <br /> <br />limited area involved does not result in an unusually high depletion rate. <br /> <br />The Bear River drainage in extreme southwestern Wyoming is <br /> <br />ordinarily blessed with adequate water supplies to meet the demand. <br /> <br />Develop- <br /> <br />ment here has nearly reached the maximum allowed by the Bear River Compact <br /> <br />of 1955 between Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. <br /> <br />During the spring runoff season <br /> <br />when streamflows are excessive, it is common practice in this area to apply <br /> <br />rather large quantities of water to the hay meadows which include most of <br /> <br />the irrigated agriculture, Here again, however, return flows get back into <br /> <br />the stream quite rapicl1y and the depletion rate is not exces sive. <br />