Laserfiche WebLink
<br />,>;' <br /> <br />~" , <br />~ '- <br /> <br />F <br />I"~ <br /> <br />The 20,500 acre-feet is only an increase of water in the Big Sandy River <br />from the Big Sandy Reservoir to the Big Bend area, which is about <br />3 miles downstream from Bone Draw. Presently, the 20,500 acre-feet of <br />water is delivered to the river via seeps after it passes through <br />canals, ditches, cropland, and the salt-laden aquifer. <br /> <br />;?"' <br /> <br />It was not the intent of the salinity study to determine what use, if <br />any, this "saved water" may have. Should this water be allocated by the <br />Wyoming State Engineer to municipal, industrial, irrigation, or wildlife <br />uses, it may require a separate salinity and environmental analysis. <br /> <br />Fisheries and Stream Flow Regimes <br /> <br />r,'-' <br /> <br />The seeps along the banks of the Big Sandy River, which are caused by <br />overirrigation, are expected to dry up as the water table drops. These <br />seeps apparently offer some relief to high summer temperatures in the <br />Big Sandy River that result from the low streamflow, shallow stream <br />channel, and the lack of riparian shade canopy caused by overgrazing of <br />livestock. Some of these seeps create marginal trout habitat in the Big <br />Sandy River. These irrigation-induced seeps and the corresponding <br />marginal trout habitat will be lost. However, voluntary fish and <br />wildlife habitat replacement measures by landowners, the irrigation <br />district, along with development of potentials by the WGFD and BLM along <br />the Big Sandy River, will provide an unknown amount of streambank <br />vegetative shading and fish cover. <br /> <br />r' <br />t '; <br />,,;..J <br /> <br />~ <br />t>: <br />I,'; <br />",-",-1 <br /> <br />Water not diverted to farmland for irrigation because of improved <br />irrigation efficiencies will remain in the existing reservoirs as <br />carryover storage for irrigation use in short-water years. Excess water <br />in the reservoirs, expected to average 20,500 acre-feet annually, will <br />be released to allow for spring runoff storage and to reduce flooding. <br />Water may be released with concurrence of the Wyoming State Engineer <br />on a schedule that can enhance fish habitat in about 35 miles of the Big <br />Sandy River (Big Sandy Reservoir to Gasson Bridge) and reduce downstream <br />flooding. Summer water temperatures can be significantly reduced. The <br />following schedule, developed by SCS with the assistance of the WGFD, is <br />how an average annual 20,500 acre-feet of water can be released for <br />these purposes during an average water year: <br /> <br />,- <br />~:' '< <br /> <br />l-,; <br /> <br />;~. <br /> <br /> Daily <br /> Period Big Sandy River Flow <br />May through November 24 25 cfs <br />November 25 through April 20 15 cfs <br />April 21 through April 30 186 cfs <br /> <br />-,",; <br /> <br />.~ <br />t',;_! <br /> <br />f; <br /> <br />--~ <br /> <br />. ~ ,_'" ft <br />,';i. ,', , _ <br />.... ." c!. t. , .1~ <br /> <br />4-19 <br />