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
of pollution in our Nation's waters.  They provide a
central source of information on the research, develop-
ment, and demonstration activities in the Environmental
Protection Agency, through inhouse research and grants
and contracts with Federal, State, and local agencies,
research institutions, and industrial organizations.

Inquiries pertaining to Water Pollution Control Research
Reports should be directed to the Chief, Publications
Branch, Research Information Division, Research and
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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                       EPA Review Notice
          This  report has been reviewed by  the Environmental
          Protection Agency  and approved  for  publication.
          Approval does not  signify that  the  contents
          necessarily reflect  the views and policies of
          the Environmental  Protection Agency, nor does
          mention of trade names or commercial products
          constitute endorsement or recommendation for
          use.
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

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                        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

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                                        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

-------