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2001 LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Active Projects
56. | PROJECT: | Hot Springs Rural-Worland Pipeline | | | | | |
| LEVEL: | II |
| SPONSOR: | Big Horn Regional Joint Powers Board |
| | (Former sponsor: City of Worland and Lucerne Water & Sewer District) |
| LOCATION: | Big Horn, Washakie, and Hot Springs County |
| PROGRAM: | New Development |
| |
| EXISTING LEGISLATION: |
|
Purpose |
Chapter |
Session |
Account |
Appropriation |
Due Date |
|
|
Level II |
36 |
2000 |
I |
$160,000 |
2002 |
|
PROJECT INFORMATION:
The 2000 WWDC Level II Study by BRS Inc., has completed an investigation of ground water
potential for a municipal water supply in the southern Big Horn Basin. Eight (8) well sites were
investigated within the southern Big Horn Basin that could potentially yield abundant (>500gpm),
good quality (<500 mg/l TDS) water. These sites were chosen on the basis of geologic structure,
drilling depths, geothermal gradient, distance from known geothermal activity, accessibility, and
potential ground water quality. An extensive review of ground water data within the southern Big
Horn Basin reveals that the most likely aquifer to yield abundant, good quality water in the
Paleozoic-age is the Madison-Big Horn Aquifer. A secondary target aquifer, that is deemed viable
in the study, is the Cambrian Flathead sandstone.
Of the sites considered, a location at the Wild Horse Butte anticline (13 miles east of Thermopolis)
and a location at the Buffalo Creek monocline (6.5 miles SE of Thermopolis) both ranked as top
choices. Conceptually, a test well would be drilled in each these separate geologic structures, with
the first test well at Wild Horse Butte as a Madison-BigHorn Aquifer completion and the second at
the Buffalo Creek monocline as a dual Madison-Big Horn/Flathead Ss. completion. A pipeline
from the Wild Horse Butte site is most easily aligned via routes in close proximity to the Buffalo
Creek monocline site, thence to Thermopolis and user points beyond.
The continued study will also include exploration into the feasibility of a Hot Springs Rural System
with a conceptual look at routing of a supply pipeline from the potential well field throughout user
systems in Hot Springs County thence to a connection with Washakie Rural at Winchester (Hot
Springs/Washakie county line). In addition, preliminary design efforts will be undertaken for the
Big Horn Rural pipeline route (second Worland well field pipeline) which has been defined in the
present Level II study.
RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
The WWDC recommends the existing Level II project in the New Development Program be
expanded and the appropriation be increased by $670,000 to $830,000.
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