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Wyoming Water Development Commission 
Harry C. LaBonde, Jr., PE, Director 
6920 Yellowtail Rd, Cheyenne, WY 82002 
Phone: 307-777-7626 

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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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