WATER POLLUTION CONTROL RESEARCH SERIES 17050 DVO 09/71
Water Budget for the
City of Laramie, Wyoming
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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WATER POLLUTION CONTROL i :,SEARCH SERIES
The Water Pollution Control Research Series describes
'the results and progress in the control and abatement
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Inquiries pertaining to Water Pollution Control Research
Reports should be directed to the Chief, Publications
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Monitoring, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,
D. C. 20460.
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WATER BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING
by
Paul A. Rechard, Director
Water Resources Research Institute
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming 82070
for the
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Project #17050 DVO
Septetnber-1971
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necessarily reflect the views and policies of
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For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 60 cents
ii
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ABSTRACT
The water budget for the City of Laramie, Wyoming was observed for a
five-year period (1966-1970). The purposes were to supplement studies
of the operation of the city's sewage lagoons and to define the effects
of municipal use on the Laramie River which furnished part of the water
supply and was the receiving stream for the sewage effluent.
It was found that the river furnished approximately one-third of the
annual supply and more than one-half the supply during the summer
irrigating season. The city returned to the river about fifty percent
of the water received during the summer (April-September) and eighty-
five percent during the winter (October-March).
The municipal supply averaged 184 gallons per capita per day during the
period of the study and varied from 134 gpcd during the winter to 23f>
gpcd during the summer. The average return flow to the river was 115
gpcd with 140 gpcd returning in the winter and 105 gpcd in the summer
period.
This report was submitted in fulfillment of Project Number 17050DVO
under the partial sponsorship of the Environmental Protection Agency.
iii
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CONTENTS
Section
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
Conclusions
Recommendations
Introduction
Background
Location
History
Geology
Period of Study
Procedures
Data
Acknowledgments
References Cited
Other References
Publications and Patents
Page
1
3
5
7
7
7
7
9
11
12
25
27
29
33
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FIGURES
Page
1 Location Map 8
2 Relationship of Total Water Supplied vs. Mean Temperature
(Monthly) - Laramie, Wyoming 1966-1970 23
vii
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TABLES
Page
I MONTHLY WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING 13
II ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING 15
III SUMMARY - MONTHLY AND ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY
OF LARAMIE, WYOMING 16
IV MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL WATER SUPPLIED TO
CONSUMERS 18
V MONTHLY RETURN FLOW FROM THE CITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING
(SEWAGE LAGOON OUTFLOW) 19
VI PERCENTAGE RETURN FLOW (SEWAGE LAGOON OUTFLOW) IS OF
FLOW TO CONSUMERS - LARAMIE, WYOMING 19
VII TYPICAL MEAN DAILY MUNICIPAL SEWAGE FLOWS 21
VIII PRECIPITATION AND EVAPORATION AND TEMPERATURE AT
LAGOONS 22
IX
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SECTION I
CONCLUSIONS
Assuming the population of the City of Laramie, Wyoming during the
period of study averaged 22,500, the mean municipal requirement was
184 gallons per capita per day (gpcd). The winter period (October-
March) demand was 134 and the summer period (April-September) demand
was 235 gpcd. These figures compare favorably with those suggested by
Langbein in 1949 (Langbein, 1949:997-1001); are somewhat higher than
those found by Linaweaver, Geyer and Wolff in 1967 (Linaweaver, Geyer
and Wolff, 1967); and almost duplicate the estimates of use in Laramie
found by City Engineer E. K. Nelson in 1940 (Nelson, 1940). The aver-
age annual per capita use at Laramie appears to be similar with that
experienced at Boulder and Denver, Colorado, although the variations
between summer and winter are greater in the Colorado cities than at
Laramie (Flack and Martinez, 1966).
The return flows approximate 115 gpcd on an average annual basis with
little monthly variation (140 gpcd in June to 105 gpcd in November).
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SECTION II
RECOMMENDATIONS
This study was undertaken as a cooperative effort with Dr. Robert L.
Champlin who investigated the problems of aeration of sewage lagoons
in the rigorous climate of Laramie, Wyoming. The water budget of the
City was felt to be important to the overall program.
It is recommended that the municipal use water budget not be studied
further. Apparently, the per capita use in Laramie is quite stable
and further study would be sterile, except as a teaching tool.
Laramie is fortunate in that the storm sewer system is separate from
the sanitary sewer system. It is recommended that the quantity, timing,
and quality of storm runoff from Laramie be given further study.
Much of the municipal and industrial effluent in Wyoming will be evapo-
rated, rather than allowed to return to the streams of the state. It
is recommended that further study of high elevation evaporation be under-
taken in order that data might be available for the design of evaporation
ponds.
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SECTION III
INTRODUCTION
The population of cities and urban areas is increasing throughout the
West. Municipalities are faced with the need to obtain additional water
supplies to accommodate the continued influx of people. One method for
supplying the required water is for the municipality to purchase an
agricultural water right and transfer that right to municipal use. The
possibilities and problems of accomplishing a transfer of a water right
have been mentioned recently in the literature. Trelease and Lee, dis-
cussing the legal aspects of this means of furnishing the additional
supplies, set forth the problem as follows:
"Today the major prospect of growth of the West does not
lie in the expansion of agriculture. Indeed, irrigation
may have to contract. The population is moving to the
cities. Technology and industry are the mushrooming
sources of wealth. These cities and industries will need
water. They cannot take their place at the bottom of the
priority list by making new appropriations of the meager
and uncertain supply of unappropriated water. They must
get firm rights, and the oldest and best rights are held
by agriculture." (Trelease and Lee, 1966:2)
Fox, in a discussion of the political or popular concern for making
water available to people in water-short areas, stated:
"In the absence of new sources of low cost water, ways
must be found for supporting more people with a given
quantity of fresh water if the growth of the West we
anticipate is to be accommodated. . . . (T)he pattern
of water use in the West must change. . . . (T)he task
of the policy maker is to provide an environment which will
facilitate an orderly transition in water use where such a
transition is desirable." (Fox, 1960)
Continued development of Wyoming and much of the West will be more and
more dependent upon the transfer of water rights from agricultural to
municipal and/or industrial uses. While the accomplishment of some
water right transfers are faced with legal entanglements and administra-
tive reluctance, the water laws of most of the Western states (those
embracing the prior appropriation doctrine) provide for transfer of
rights from irrigation purposes to a use which is higher on a designated
preference list. In Wyoming, the locale for this study, the preferred
order is:
"First water for drinking purposes for both man and
beast; Second water for municipal purposes; Third
water for the use of steam engines and for general railway
use, water for culinary, laundry, bathing, refrigeration
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(including the manufacture of ice), for steam and hot
water heating plants, and steam power plants; and Fourth
industrial purposes. The use of water for irrigation shall
be superior and preferred to any use where water turbines
or impulse water wheels are installed for power purposes;
..." (Bishop, 1969)
Thus, it would seem that, in Wyoming, water rights acquired for irriga-
tion purposes may be transferred to municipal uses. However, a trans-
fer in the place of use must be accomplished without jeopardizing the
water rights of other appropriators. The Wyoming Supreme Court in the
1904 case of Johnston v. Little Horse Creek Irrigating Co., stated:
"The only limitation upon the right of sale of a water right
separate from the land to which it was first applied, and to
which it has become appurtenant, laid down by any of the
authorities, is that ħt. shall not injuriously affect the
rights of other appropriators." (Emphasis added.) (Johnston
v. Little Horse Creek Irrigating Co. 1904)
While this case did not deal with a transfer of use from agricultural to
municipal, the caveat has been applied by administrators and the courts
alike for all types of transfers.
In general, development in the West has been along streams and rivers
where water was easy to divert from its natural channel for the irriga-
tion of nearby lands. Water being so essential to the existence of
life, communities also sought a stream bank location. As the settle-
ments grew, the encroachment of urban development onto lands previously
utilized for agricultural purposes and the subsequent transfer of the
water from irrigation use to municipal use, at the original location,
caused some variance in the consumptive use of water. It is the purpose
of this study to determine the extent and time of municipal demand and
the total effect of the urban use on the supply source and receiving
stream. The City of Laramie, Wyoming is the locale and a water budget
approach has been used to define the effects.
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SECTION IV
BACKGROUND
Location
The location of the project is the City of Laramie and environs in
Albany County, Wyoming at an elevation of 7,100 feet above mean sea
level. The area lies along the Laramie River which flows in a northerly
direction on the floor of the Laramie Basin near the Western front of
the Laramie Mountains. The area occupies portions of Townships 15 and
16 North, Range 73 West of the 6th Principal Meridian (Figure 1).
The city area is located on land that has a natural surface drainage
westward, directly into the Laramie River. Spring Creek, a small tri-
butary of the Laramie River, skirts the southern edge of the city.
The channel of the creek was modified in 1929 to provide a degree of
flood protection for the city.(Bell, 1967). Most of the storm drains
in the southern portion of the city discharge into Spring Creek while
the northern section has storm drains that discharge directly to the
river.
Laramie is primarily a university town with little heavy industry. The
influx of students in the fall, with the consequent egress and ingress
during the Christmas vacation, and the sudden outpouring from town at
the end of school in June, is a constant cyclical pattern. There is no
other large single water user which overshadows the effects of the Uni-
versity on the water withdrawals and use.
History
The original water supply to Laramie was from springs which were capable
of furnishing enough water for the railroad and the city during its
early life. As urban development continued, the springs were not ade-
quate to supply the water necessary for municipal and industrial growth,
and the city looked elsewhere for additional water. The most logical
source for supplemental supply was the adjacent Laramie River. By the
time of need, however, the entire flow of the river had been appropriated,
primarily for agricultural use, and a guaranteed supply was not available
from the remaining natural flow of the river. The city was able to pur-
chase the earliest water right on the Laramie River and the Wyoming State
Board of Control permitted the transfer of that right to municipal use
with a consequent change in the point of diversion and place of use.
Geology
The Laramie Basin is a broad syncline trending north and south, bordered
on the east side by the Laramie Mountains and on the west by the Medicine
Bow Mountains. The strata lying on the west slope of the Laramie Moun-
tains (the east side of the Basin) dip westward at moderate angles of
about 4° to 6°.
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! LOCATION MAP
.. .
.,-.,
y-SEWAJSE LAGOONS
'-.:
-
-
:
'"IK J4 - I
v v^f--j
...'.. i.t-^^ - C.J
. fl
$ğ<
i~ -* T* -V . -
-
^, > - ' 11 "
r^fy ":
" \ ~°l PNr "
' -^ I ----_ -' V* A \ '
POPE SPRINGS
' '
^
FIG. 1
SOLDIER SPRING'S'
8
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The Casper Formation, the greatest water-producing aquifer within the
Laramie area, is composed of interbedded limestones, sandstones, silt-
stones and shales. This formation is exposed to meteoric recharge on
the dip slopes of the Laramie Mountains east of the City of Laramie and
supplies water to the city's springs and wells. Within the municipal
area, the Satanka, Forelle, Chugwater, Sundance, and Morrison Formations
lie above the Casper Formation and these in turn are covered by a moder-
ate depth of alluvium (9-15 feet). Free groundwater occurs in the allu-
vium.
Period of Study
The initial installations of some of the gages and instrumentation were
made in the spring of 1965 with additional equipment being installed
during the summer and fall of 1966. This report is based on the records
that have been obtained from May 1965 through December 1970.
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SECTION V
PROCEDURES
While the ideal procedure for a study to define a modification in regi-
men would have been a "before and after" investigation, the actual
change in type of water utilization from irrigation to municipal use
was accomplished at Laramie in 1947, and no "before" studies existed.
Since the same river (Laramie River) passes through and serves as a
source of supply for the city and receives its storm and sanitary
wastes, it appeared possible by water budget methods to arrive at com-
parative amounts and patterns of use and return flow.
To define the municipal effects on the streamflow regimen, it was nec-
essary to establish a detailed water budget for the city. This entailed
the measurement and recording of all inflow to the city water supply sys-
tem and the outflow from the city's sanitary system (in the case of
Laramie, the sanitary and storm sewers are separate).
The original source of water supply for the City of Laramie was City
Springs. Estimates and miscellaneous measurements of the flow from
this source were made at various times throughout the developmental
period of the city. A concrete Parshall measuring flume was installed
in 1940 (Nelson, 1940) but continuous records were not kept until May
1965 when a water level recorder was installed. At the same time (1965)
a meter was installed in the line conveying water from Soldier Springs
and Pope Wells at the south edge of the city (Rechard and Lane, 1968).
Water from the Laramie River is supplied to the city by diversion from
the river, about twenty-one miles southwest of Laramie, to Sodergreen
Reservoir, which serves as a primary settling basin and provides limited
operating storage. Releases from the reservoir flow by gravity through
a 36-inch pipe line into a filter plant from which the water flows in a
20-inch pipe line to Laramie where the treated river water is commingled
in the high level reservoirs near City Springs with that from the spring
sources.
The City of Laramie, as a contributing portion of the study, constructed
or installed metering devices and telemetering equipment to continuously
monitor the flow to the city's reservoirs, spill or waste from the reser-
voirs, and releases to the system for municipal consumption. Thus water
supplied to the City of Laramie is now measured and recorded by the City
Water Department and their cooperation in making these records available
for this study is gratefully acknowledged.
For this study, the most important quantity of water entering the river
as it passes through the city is that from the domestic sewerage system.
Since the city uses a lagoon type treatment of sanitary sewage, two 24-
inch Parshall flumes with Stevens type-F recorders were installed on the
ditches leading to the river to record the quantity of lagoon effluent.
11
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To estimate the evaporation from the lagoon water surface, an evaporation
station was installed to National Weather Service (NOAA) standards adja-
cent to the ponds. The observations collected are published in the
Climatological Data for Wyoming. In addition to the Class "A" pan, auxil-
iary equipment includes a non-recording precipitation gage, a Hellmann
type recording precipitation gage (for summer operation), a hygrothermo-
graph, maximum-minimum thermometers for both air temperature and pan-water
temperature, and a thermometer for once daily pond water temperature observa-
tion. An additional Class "A" pan was filled with water from the lagoons.
For the protection of the Class "A" pans, no attempt was made to operate
them when freezing temperatures prevailed. Some evaporation undoubtedly
occurs from the ice surface on the lagoons and in an effort to obtain an
estimate of that amount, a modified weighing Belfort precipitation recorder
was installed. The receiving cone was removed and a plastic bucket utilized
to prevent damage from the ice. The bucket was filled with water to within
two inches of the brim and permitted to freeze. As evaporation occurred,
the chart recorded what would appear to be negative precipitation. Because
the graduations on the chart were representative of an eight-inch opening
and the ice surface was approximately ten inches, it was necessary to correct
the apparent evaporation by a factor of 0.64 to obtain meaningful readings.
It is believed that the gage has considerable potential for winter evapora-
tion measurement. Also, coffee cans were filled with water and permitted
to freeze, the evaporation-sublimation from them was determined by daily
weighing the cans and ice.
Data
Table I shows the inflow to the Laramie municipal water system as recorded
by the city. The contributions from each of the three sources of supply
are set forth. As noted previously, the flow from Soldier Springs and Pope
Wells is commingled and brought to Laramie in one pipe. The recorder is in
the pipeline as it enters the city and, therefore, the flow from these two
sources are reported as a combined figure.
The records of spill and change in storage in the city's reservoirs were
not maintained prior to March 1967, when the instruments installed by the
city first became operational. Because the quantities were small and
because management methods were different after the installation of the
telemetry system, no attempt was made to estimate these items for the
previous period.
Table II is the annual summary of the monthly data presented in Table I.
These data show that on the average for the 1966-1970 period, the Laramie
River, the City Springs, and Pope and Soldier Springs each furnished about
one-third of the annual requirement of the City of Laramie.
Table III summarizes the data of Tables I and II by months. Because the
flow of the City Springs is not artificially controlled, the contribution
from this source is practically constant. Pope and Soldier Springs have
been developed, and the flow from these sources can be increased by pump-
ing. In the early years of the city- these sources, with the aid of
12
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TABLE I
MONTHLY WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING
(Acre-Feet except as noted)
May 1965 - December 1970
Month/Year
May 1965
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan 1966
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan 1967
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan 1968,
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
City
Springs
(1)
143
138
143
140
130
136
131
131
138
140
140
138
138
132
137
133
130
81
110
121
120
120
128
124
122
121
127
128
120
129
122
127
126
118
127
126
129
134
137
138
132
Pope &
Soldier
Springs
(2)
145
207
248
205
178
122
169
159
126
142
153
163
187
170
163
186
195
145
125
131
120
120
113
131
152
99
136
120
147
118
90
94
103
84
102
96
110
145
141
166
193
Laramie Spillage &
River A Storage
(3)
63
96
286
245
86
53
50
35
86
66
74
48
188
121
152
99
56
16
17
4
42
30
46
77
138
150
313
391
155
106
37
11
48
33
36
41
85
369
313
161
159
(4)
11
22
18
3
0
3
0
-3
1
-1
2
-1
2
3
3
3
7
-3
4
Total to
Consumers
(5)
351
441
677
590
394
311
350
325
350
348
367
349
513
423
452
418
381
242
252
256
282
270
276
310
394
367
576
636
422
356
248
233
275
236
263
260
321
645
584
468
480
% Total
from
River
(6)
18
22
42
42
22
17
14
11
25
19
20
14
37
29
33
24
15
7
7
2
15
11
17
25
35
41
54
61
37
30
15
5
17
14
14
16
26
57
53
35
33
% of
Annual
(7)
8.0
8.0
8.4
8.0
11.8
9.7
10.4
9.6
8.8
5.6
5.8
5.9
6.4
6.2
6.3
7.1
9.0
8.4
13.2
14.5
9.7
8.1
5.7
5.3
6.3
5.4
6.1
6.0
7.4
14.9
13.5
10.8
11.1
13
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TABLE I (Continued)
Month/Year
Oct 1968
Nov
Dec
Jan 1969
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan 1970
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
City
Springs
130
133
138
138
125
140
138
140
136
139
138
127
139
135
138
137
128
127
146
137
136
137
138
133
139
134
140
Pope &
Soldier
Springs
142
105
112
117
108
129
141
137
139
126
117
159
141
118
116
122
119
121
132
182
192
148
182
214
169
125
129
Laramie
River
41
2
10
16
14
15
105
309
176
513
452
226
24
15
17
17
15
20
46
219
329
456
414
68
43
34
36
Spillage &
A Storage
-12
8
14
10
4
2
3
7
4
0
2
-5
-5
3
0
-3
0
0
10
3
4
3
8
4
0
0
0
Total to
Consumers
325
232
245
261
244
283
381
580
447
778
706
517
309
265
271
279
261
269
314
535
653
738
712
411
351
293
305
% Total
from
River
13
1
4
6
6
5
27
53
39
66
64
44
8
6
6
6
6
7
14
41
50
62
56
16
12
12
12
% of
Annual
7.5
5.4
4.9
5.1
4.8
5.6
7.6
11.5
8.9
15.4
14.0
10.3
6.1
5.3
5.4
5.4
5.1
5.3
6.1
10.4
12.7
14.4
14.1
8.0
6.8
5.7
6.0
14
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TABLE II
ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING
(Acre-Feet except as noted)
1966-1970
Calendar
Year
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
City
Springs
(1)
1,538
1,487
1,568
1,633
1,632
Pope &
Soldier
Springs
(2)
1,886
1,440
1,499
1,548
1,835
Laramie
River
(3)
927
1,496
1,298
1,882
1,697
Spillage &
A Storage
(4)
0
52
31
21
30
Total to
Consumers
(5)
4,351
4,371
4,334
5,042
5,134
% Total
from
River
(6)
21.3
34.2
29.9
37.3
33.1
Average 1,571 1,644
1,460
29
4,646
31.4
15
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TABLE III
SUMMARY
MONTHLY AND ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING
(Acre-Feet except as Noted)
cr>
Source Year
66
City 1967
Springs 68
69
70
Avg.
% Avg. Annual
66
Pope & 1967
Soldier 68
Springs 69
70
Avg.
% Avg. Annual
66
Laramie 1967
River 68
69
70
Avg.
% Avg. Annual
66
Total 1967
to 68
Consumer 69
70
Avg.
% Avg. Annual
Jan
138
120
126
138
137
132
8.4
126
120
103
117
122
118
7.1
86
42
48
16
17
42
2.9
350
282
275
261
279
289
6.2
Feb
140
120E
118
125
128
126
8.0
142
120E
84
108
119
115
7.0
66
30E
33
14
15
32
2.2
348
270
236
244
261
272
5.9
Mar
140
128
127
140
127
132
8.4
153
113
102
129
121
124
7.5
74
46
36
15
20
38
2.6
367
276
263
283
269
292
6.3
Apr
138
124
126
138
146
134
8.5
163
131
96
141
132
133
8.1
48
77
41
105
46
63
4.3
349
311
260
381
314
323
7.0
May
138
122
129
140
137
133
8.5
187
152
110
137
182
154
9.3
188
138
85
309
219
188
12.9
513
394
321
580
535
469
10.1
X^UU J
June
132
121
134
136
136
132
8.4
170
99
145
139
192
149
9.1
121
150
369
176
329
229
15.7
423
365
645
447
653
507
10.9
L37 / U
July
137
127
137
139
137
135
8.6
163
136
141
126
148
143
8.7
152
313
313
513
456
349
23.9
452
575
584
778
738
625
13.5
Aug
133
127
138
138
138
135
8.6
186
120
166
117
182
154
9.4
99
391
161
452
414
303
20.8
418
636
468
706
725
591
12.7
Sept
130
120
132
127
133
128
8.1
195
147
193
159
214
182
11.1
56
155
159
226
68
133
9.1
381
425
480
517
411
443
9.5
Oct
81
129
130
139
139
124
7.9
145
118
142
141
169
143
8.7
16
106
41
24
43
46
3.1
242
356
325
309
351
317
6.8
Nov
110
122
133
135
134
127
8.1
125
90
105
118
125
113
6.9
17
37
2
15
34
21
1.4
252
248
232
265
293
258
5.5
Dec
121
127
138
138
140
133
8.5
131
94
112
116
129
116
7.1
4
11
10
17
36
16
1.1
256
233
245
271
305
262
5.6
Annual
1,538
1,487
1,568
1,633
1,632
1,571
100
1,886
1,440
1,499
1,548
1,835
1,644
100
927
1,496
1,298
1,882
1,697
1,460
100
4,351
4,371
4,334
5,042
5,134
4,646
100
% Total to
Consumer
33.8
35.4
31.4
100.0
-------
watering restrictions (Mason, 1939:271-282), were able to satisfy the
municipal demands. Pope arid Soldier Springs provide some flexibility
in the supply, especially by being able to pick up the September demand
when the flow of the Laramie River is low.
The Laramie River supplements the ground water sources by supplying the
larger demands imposed by lawn irrigation. The only major regulation
of natural flow on the Laramie River above the intake to the city's
system is Sodergreen Reservoir, and this reservoir is not sufficient
to provide for more than monthly pondage. Should the winter demands for
domestic use increase considerably, the city may be forced to look for
more storage on the river.
Table IV shows the monthly distribution of water aupplied to the city.
As is expected the larger demands are during the summer when lawn irriga-
tion is underway. There is some shifting of the peak demands among the
summer months. A comparison of these shifts with the precipitation
records indicates that the explanation for these changes is the absence
or presence of summer precipitation.
The discharge from the sewage lagoons constitutes the measurable return
flow from the city to the Laramie River. The outflow from the lagoons
is summarized in Table V.
Prior to October, 1966 discharges were estimated by assuming the weirs
used as the outlet from the lagoons would operate in accordance with a
standard weir formula. Following the installation of the Parshall
flumes in September, 1966, the return flow shown in the table was the
recorded value. The accuracy of the flume rating tables was confirmed
by several measurements made utilizing the dye-dilution procedure.
Missing (due to ice conditions) records of discharge from the lagoons
were estimated using periodic (usually once weekly) readings of the
staff gages on the ponds or at the flumes and from observation that the
flow fluctuates little during these months. When records for only por-
tions of the month were obtained, the average daily flow during the par-
tial month was assumed to be representative of the average for the entire
month. During the winter 1969-1970 considerable difficulties were
encountered in maintaining the flumes and the canals. The records for
these months were so poor that they are not included.
The percentage of the water supplied the city that is returned to the
river during the same month is shown in Table VI. The impact of lawn
irrigation is again evident. During the winter months (October-March)
the return flow is 84 percent of the inflow, while for the summer months
(April-September) only 54 percent of the inflow is returned.
During the 1966-1970 period the river usually supplied about one-half
of the inflow during the summer months, so with the help of ground
water, the Laramie River was not seriously depleted by the city. In
fact, on an annual basis, the city returns to the river more water than
it diverts.
17
-------
TABLE IV
MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL WATER SUPPLIED TO CONSUMERS
(Percent)
1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 Mean
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
oinual
8
8
8
8
12
10
10
10
9
6
5
6
100
7
6
6
7
9
8
13
15
10
8
6
5
100
6
5
6
6
7
15
14
11
11
8
5
6
100
5
5
6
8
12
9
15
14
10
6
5
5
100
5
5
5
6
10
13
15
14
8
7
6
6
100
6
6
6
7
10
11
13
13
9
7
6
6
100
18
-------
TABLE V
MONTHLY RETURN FLOW FROM THE CITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING
(SEWAGE LAGOON OUTFLOW)
(Acre-Feet)
YEAR
1966
67
68
69
1970
Avg.
*
**
Jan
280
223
230
230
241
Feb Mar Apr
244 250 191
196 189 215
211 228 243
225 266 247
277
219 233 235
May
191
224
284
247
251
239
Artificially inflated by draining
Total of validly recorded figures
June
226
273
282
293
382
291
lagoon
only
July
190
256
262
257
334
260
Aug
228
225
287
244
307
258
Sept
215
211
229
212
253
224
Oct
227
232
243
387*
234**
Nov
176
214
239
240
217
Dec
246
228
235
236
TOTAL
2,664
2,686
2,973
2,221**
2,044**
2,887
TABLE VI
PERCENTAGE RETURN FLOW (SEWAGE LAGOON OUTFLOW) IS
LARAMIE, WYOMING
YEAR
1966
67
68
69
1970
Avg.
Jan
80
79
84
88
83
Feb Mar Apr
70 68 55
73 68 69
89 87 93
92 94 65
88
81 79 74
May
37
57
88
43
47
54
June
53
74
44
66
58
59
July
42
45
45
33
45
42
Aug
55
36
61
35
42
46
OF INFLOW
Sept
56
50
48
41
62
51
TO CONSUMERS
Oct
94
65
75
78
Nov
70
86
100
82
84
Dec
96
98
96
97
Note: Avg. Winter 6 months = 84%
Avg. Summer 6 months = 54%
-------
Table VII shows patterns of weekly sewage flow from the city as recorded
in the sewer line prior to discharge into the sewage lagoons. The weeks
chosen to represent typical situations included both those when the
University was in session and when there was vacation. The influence of
the University on the amount of sewage flow is obvious. The start of the
long vacation recesses are quite evident and while the University is in
recess, the sewage flows drop to approximately 80 percent of their nor-
mal. Usually the weekly peak sewage flow occurs on Monday; however, the
variations within a week are not great and the weekend flow varies little
from the midweek flow patterns. The flow does have a marked diurnal
fluctuation with the maximum rate of about 3.5 mgd, occurring during the
noon or early afternoon hours, and the minimum flow, approximately 1.8
mgd, occurring between six and eight A.M.
Climate affects the municipal demand as well as the amount of evaporation
that occurs from the surface of the lagoons. The pertinent climatic fac-
tors, precipitation, evaporation and mean temperature, are given in
Table VIII. As mentioned earlier, the summer precipitation inversely
influences the demand for lawn irrigation water. Likewise, the monthly
temperature directly affects the demand. This latter fact is shown in
Figure 2, which is a plotting of mean monthly temperature against the
municipal inflow.
20
-------
TABLE VII
TYPICAL MEAN DAILY
MUNICIPAL SEWAGE FLOWS
(Millions of Gallons)
Nov. 12-18, 1967
Sun.
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Dec.
Sun.
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
2.49
2.76
2.74
2.72
2.69
2.72
2.78
10-16, 1967
2.81
2.75
2.75
2.66
2.53
2.49
2.231
Nov. 19-25, 1967*
2.59
2.82
2.72
2.54a
2.27
2.35
2.31
Dec. 17-23, 1967**
2.12
2.22
2.11
2.08
2.01
2.16
2.16
* During University of Wyoming
Thanksgiving Recess
** During University of Wyoming
Christmas Recess
1 First Day of Recess
21
AWBERC LIBRARY U.S. EPA
-------
to
to
YEAR
1966
67
68
69
1970
Jan
TABLE VIII
PRECIPITATION AND EVAPORATION AND TEMPERATURE AT LAGOONS
Precipitation (Inches)
YEAR
1966
67
68
69
1970
Jan
.14
.94
.06
.23
.03
Feb
.17
.18
.44
.86
.11
Mar
.64
.37
.10
.06
.60
Apr
.29
1.07
2.63
.62
.23
May
.16
1.15
1.68
.57
.91
June
1.19
2.79
.33
3.11
2.07
July
1.79
1.70
1.66
.87
1.83
Aug
.79
1.08
1.05
.49
.59
Sept
2.10
1.19
.37
1.10
1.54
Oct
.40
.63
.49
1.57
1.57
Nov
.33
.03
.59
.22
.85
Dec
.09
.30
.12
.19
.12
TOTAL
8.09
11.43
9.52
9.89
10.45
Evaporation (Inches)
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
10.97
8.89
8.66
10.04
10.34
June
11.88
8.22
12.25
8.12
10.19
July
12.10
9.76
10.28
12.73
11.50
Aug
10.81
9.21
10.37
10.37
10.27
Sept
7.62
7.52
7.41
8.24
7.03
Oct
6.62*
Not included in annual total
Dec
TOTAL
53.38
50.22
48.97
49.50
49.33
Mean Temperature (°F)
YEAR
1966
67
68
69
1970
Jan
21
23
25
26
22
Feb
20
22
25
21
28
Mar
32
33
34
19
24
Apr
36
39
34
42
33
May
48
44
45
51
48
June
56
53
56
52
55
66
62
63
64
63
Aug
59
58
57
64
64
53
51
47
56
50
Oct
47
44
43
32
34
Nov
38
32
26
28
30
Dec
23
14
21
24
24
MEAN
42
40
40
40
40
-------
800
RELATIONSHIP OF
TOTAL WATER SUPPLIED
VS.
MEAN TEMPERATURE
(MONTHLY)
LARAMIE, WYOMING
1966 - 1970
700
LJ
UJ
u_
i
UJ
cc
o
600
tr
LJ
5 500
z
o
u
S 400
_j
Q.
Q.
D
IT
LJ
I-
* 300
O
I-
200
100
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
MEAN MONTHLY TEMPERATURE °F
23
FIG. 2
-------
SECTION VI
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research on which this report is based was supported in part
by funds from the Environmental Protection Agency under Project 17050
DVO. The Project Officer for EPA was Dr. Robert L. Bunch.
25
-------
SECTION VII
REFERENCES CITED
Bell, Lyndon H. A Description of Spring Creek, Albany County,
Wyoming, unpublished paper submitted to Department of Geology,
University of Wyoming, June 1967-
Bishop, Floyd A. Wyoming Water and Irrigation Laws. 1969
Flack, J. Ernest, and Fortunate Martinez-F. Urban Water Use Study,
Conference Preprint No. 350, ASCE Water Resources Engineering
Conference, May 16-20, 1966.
Fox, Irving K. Water: Supply, Demand and the Law, 32 Rocky Mountain
Law Review 456, 1960.
Johnston v. Little Horse Creek Irrigating Co., 13 Wyo 208, 79 Pac. 25,
1904.
Langbein, W. B. Municipal Water Use in the United States, Journal
American Water Works Association, Vol. 41, November 1949,
pp. 997-1001
Linaweaver, F. P., Jr., John C. Geyer and Jerome B. Wolff. A Study
of Residential Water Use. A report by The John Hopkins University
for the Federal Housing Administration, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 1967.
Mason, Carol Y. Water in the Laramie Region of Wyoming, Economic
Geography, July 1939, pp. 271-282.
Nelson, Elmer K. Municipal Uses, Laramie, Wyoming - Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Unpublished memorandum - City Engineer, Laramie, Wyoming, January
1940.
Rechard, Paul A. and John E. Lane. The Effects of Varying Land and
Water Use on Streamflow Regimen. Water Resources Series No. 10,
Water Resources Research Institute, University of Wyoming. 1968.
Trelease, Frank J. and Dellis W. Lee. Priority and Progress - Case
Studies in the Transfer of Water Rights. University of Wyoming
Land and Water Law Review, Vol. I, No. 1, 1966, p. 2.
27
-------
SECTION VIII
OTHER REFERENCES
Banner, J. T. Proposals No. 1 and No. 2 - Water Exchange Plan.
Unpublished reports - City Engineer, City of Laramie, Wyoming,
December 1944.
Beckwith, R. H. The Geology of the Laramie Municipal Water Supply.
Unpublished Geological Survey of Wyoming Report, 1937-
Blaney, Harry F. and Wayne D. Griddle. Determining Consumptive Use
and Irrigation Water Requirements. U. S. Department of Agri-
culture Technical Bulletin No. 1275, December 1962.
Boos, C. Maynard. Geological Survey of the Laramie Water Supply Area.
Unpublished report, June 3 - July 5, 1940.
Griddle, Wayne D., Karl Harris and Lyman S. Willardson. Consumptive
Use and Water Requirements for Utah. Utah State Engineer Techni-
cal Publication No. 8, November 1962.
Darton, N. H. and C. E. Siebenthal. Geology and Mineral Resources of
the Laramie Basin, Wyoming - A Preliminary Report. USGS Bulletin
No. 364, 1909.
Darson, N. H. , Eliot Blackwelder and C. E. Siebenthal. USGS Geologic
Atlas of the United States - Laramie-Sherman, Wyoming Folio
No. 173, 1910.
Domestic Water Supply for Laramie, Wyoming. Stevens and Koon, Consult-
ing Engineers Report, June 1944.
Duguid, James Otto. A Cross Section of the Alluvium and Bedrock at the
Laramie River in Laramie, Wyoming, Contributions to Geology, Vol. 6,
No. 2, University of Wyoming, September 1967, pp. 119-121.
Goodrich, R. D. Capacity Tests of Ground-Water Sources at Laramie,
Wyoming, Journal of American Water Works Association, November,
1942, pp. 1629-1634.
Littleton, Robert T. Reconnaissance of the Geology and Ground-Water
Hydrology of the Laramie Basin, Wyoming. USGS Cir. No. 80,
November 1950.
Morgan, Arthur M. Geology and Ground Water in the Laramie Area, Albany
County, Wyoming. June 1947-
McConnell, G. R. What of Laramie*s Water Supply. Editorial in Laramie
Republican-Boomerang, June 9, 1937.
29
-------
McGaw, A. J. City Engineers Report - June 1, 1940 - January 7, 1941.
Unpublished report -"City Engineer, Laramie, Wyoming, 1941.
Neill, Charles R. and Victor J. Galay. Systematic Evaluation of River
Regime. ASCE Conference Reprint No. 332, May 16-20, 1966.
Nelson, Elmer K. Engineers Report on Construction of Water System
Improvements 1927. Unpublished report - City Engineer, Laramie,
Wyoming, January 1928.
Nelson, Elmer K. Notes on the History of the City of Laramie's Water
Supply. Unpublished speech by City Engineer, Laramie, Wyoming,
presented to the Laramie Kiawanis Club, April, 1937-
Nelson, Elmer K. Development of Water Supply at Soldier Springs Area.
Unpublished memorandum by City Engineer, Laramie, Wyoming,
February 1937.
Nelson, Elmer K. Artesian Wells and Artesian Springs in Laramie
Valley. Unpublished memorandum by City Engineer, Laramie,
Wyoming, November 1938.
Potter, Frederick Ralph. A Comparison of the Percentage of Return
Flow from a Municipal System with that of an Agricultural Diver-
sion on the Laramie River. Thesis submitted to the Department
of Civil and Architectural Engineering, University of Wyoming,
November 1965.
Rechard, 0. H. Report on Citizen's Water Committee. Unpublished
report from Chairman, Citizens Water Committee, Laramie,
Wyoming, March 26, 1940.
Rechard, 0. H. Citizen's Water Committee Report. Unpublished mimeo-
graphed report from Chairman, dated August 11, 1942.
Rechard, Paul A. and Frederick R. Potter. Progress Report on the
Effects of Varying Land and Water Use on Streamflow Regimen,
June 1966.
Rechard, Paul A. Report of Activities on a Study to Determine the
Effects of Varying Land and Water Use on Streamflow Regimen.
Unpublished mimeographed report, September 1, 1966.
Robinson, James Richard. The Ground Water Resources of the Laramie
Area, Albany County, Wyoming. Thesis submitted to the Department
of Geology, University of Wyoming, January 1956.
Resources of the City of Laramie. Laramie Board of Trade, 1890.
Report on the Effect of Changing the Point of Diversion of 4.3713 C.F.S.
from Dowling Ditch to Pioneer Canal and City of Laramie Pipe Lines.
Report by J. T. Banner and Associates, Inc., August 1963.
30
-------
Report on Laramie Water System. Report by R. J. Tipton and Associates,
Inc., April 1950.
Report on Proposed Water Facilities Improvements for City of Laramie.
Report by J. T. Banner and Associates, November 1952.
Report on Proposed Improvements to Laramie's Water Supply Facilities.
Report by J. T. Banner and Associates, March 1961.
Study of Water Requirements, City of Laramie, Wyoming. Report by
J. T. Banner and Associates, Inc., August 1962.
31
-------
SECTION IX
PUBLICATIONS AND PATENTS
Hannigan, John Thomas. A Rainfall-Runoff Study for an Urban Area.
M. S. Thesis - Civil Engineering Department, University of
Wyoming. 1968.
Lane, John Everett. The Effects of Varying Land and Water Use on
Streamflow Regimen. M. S. Thesis - Civil Engineering Department,
University of Wyoming. 1968.
Brown, Dennis J. The Use of Pans and a Theoretical Model to Define the
Role of Evaporation in the Water Budgets of the City of Laramle
and the State of Wyoming. M. S. Thesis - Water Resources,
University of Wyoming. 1970.
4U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1972--i|8
-------
SELECTED WATER
RESOURCES ABSTRACTS
INPUT TRANSACTION FORM
1. Report No.
4. Title
WATER BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF LARAMIE, WYOMING
7. Author(s)
Rechard, P. A.
9. Organization
Wyoming University
Water Resources Research Institute
12. Sponsoring Organization
15. Supplementary Notes
3. Accession No.
w
5. Report Date
6.
8. Performing Organization
Report No.
10. Project No.
17050
11. Contract/Grant No.
13. Type of Report and
Period Covered
16. Abstract
The water budget for the City of Laramie, Wyoming was observed for a five-year
period (1966-1970). The purposes were to supplement studies of the operation of
the city's sewage lagoons and to define the effects of municipal use on the Laramie
River which furnished part of the water supply and was the receiving stream for
the sewage effluent.
It was found that the river furnished approximately one-third of the annual supply
and more than one-half the supply during the summer irrigating season. The city
returned to the river about fifty percent of the water received during the summer
(April-September) and eighty-five percent during the winter (October-March).
The municipal supply averaged 184 gallons per capita per day during the period of
the study and varied from 134 gpcd during the winter to 235 gpcd during the summer.
The average return flow to the river was 115 gpcd with 140 gpcd returning in the
winter and 105 gpcd in the summer period.
17a. Descriptors
Water budget, municipal use, urban water supply, weather data, water utilization
lib. Identifiers
17c. COWRR Field & Group 04A
18. Availability
19. Security Class.
(Report)
20. Security Class.
(Page)
Abstractor Rechard, P. A.
21. No. of
Pages
22. Price
Send To:
WATER RESOURCES SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION CENTER
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
WASHINGTON. D. C. 20240
institution University of Wyoming
WRSIC 102 (REV. JUNE 1971)
GP 0 9 13.261
------- |