Wyoming Framework Water Plan - Living Rivers Home Page

5.0 USE
than existing demands. Additional information on demand versus system capacity is contained in each of
the river basin planning area reports.
Domestic water uses are those uses which are satisfied by individual wells and small water
systems. The principal users of nonmunicipal domestic water supplies are rural homes, subdivisions,
small trailer courts, commercial establishments, parks, campgrounds, rural schools, domestic uses at coal
mines, and other small water uses that are not supplied from a central public water system. These uses
are almost exclusively supplied from groundwater. A notable exception is limited irrigation of lawns and
gardens from available surface water sources.
5.3.2 Current Water Use
Table 5-6 shows the current municipal and domestic water use for the state by individual river
basins in gallons of use per day. The water use is split between surface water and groundwater. Large
portions of the Platte River Basin population were reported as being served by conjunctive use systems
(use of both surface water and groundwater). Platte River cities with conjunctive use systems include Bar
Nunn, Casper, Cheyenne, Douglas, Laramie, and Rawlins. Table 5-7 presents the annual municipal and
domestic use for each of the river basin planning areas. Figures in this table are shown in acre-feet used
per year. In the Platte River Basin Plan, conjunctive use was estimated and reported. Figure 5-4 shows
municipal wells while Figure 5-5 shows domestic wells in the state.
Table 5-6 Municipal and Domestic Use
Surface Water
Groundwater
River Basin Demand Factor 1 Municipal Domestic Municipal Domestic
gpcpd
gpd
Bear River 2 198 2,056,700 897,000
Green River 3 133 18,682,000 ! 0 646,000 2,598,000
Northeast Wyoming 204 ! 0 ! 0 6,957,000 2,540,000
Platte River 4 197 5,981,000 15,891,000
Powder/Tongue River 270 6,446,000 ! 0 91,000 2,135,000
Snake/Salt River 223 ! 0 ! 0 5,875,140 2,241,000
Wind/Bighorn River 207 8,300,000 1,157,000 3,904,000 5,314,000
1 Demand factors are based on average use in the basin, which are reported as gallons per capita per day (gpcpd). Use is calculated in gallons per
day (gpd).
2
Combined the data for municipal and domestic uses. Number is from percentage of total water use.
3
Surface water data are"depletions" instead of "uses" like the other basins. Also includes 12.9 mgd for City of Cheyenne, which may or may not be
the same as 13 mgd in the Platte Basin total.
4
Includes 13 mgd for City of Cheyenne, which may be duplicated in Green River Basin. Also the only basin plan to report conjunctive uses.
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