Water Supply and Utilization Report
North Platte River Basin
Wyoming Area Office
This report concerns the operation of Reclamation facilities in the North Platte River Basin. Reclamation defines a water year as the time period of October 1 through September 30. Water year is abbreviated in this report as W.Yr. Other organizations furnished information for the Water Supply and Utilization Report. Their cooperation is greatly appreciated.
North Platte River Basin Inflow
The May inflows were below average for Seminoe and Pathfinder Reservoirs in the North Platte Basin. The May inflow into Pathfinder Reservoir was the 6th lowest inflow in the last 30 years.
| May Inflow |
May Historical Inflow |
Accumulated Inflow (October - May) |
|||||||
| Reservoir | W.Yr. 2007 |
30 Yr. Avg.5 |
% of Avg. |
W.Yr. 2006 |
W.Yr. 2005 |
W.Yr. 2004 |
W.Yr. 2007 |
30 Yr. Avg.5 |
% of Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seminoe | 182.6 | 221.6 | 82 | 221.0 | 226.9 | 76.9 | 532.0 | 512.6 | 104 |
| Pathfinder1, 2 | 11.8 | 31.6 | 37 | 10.2 | 25.1 | 12.1 | 47.2 | 90.7 | 52 |
| Glendo3 | 66.0 | 63.8 | 103 | 18.3 | 23.1 | 4.2 | 139.4 | 175.1 | 80 |
| Guernsey4 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 100 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 15.3 | 24.0 | 64 |
| 1 It is assumed that there is no gain between Seminoe and Kortes Dams. | |||||||||
| 2 River gain between Kortes and Pathfinder Dams. | |||||||||
| 3 River gain between Pathfinder and Glendo Dams. | |||||||||
| 4 River gain between Glendo and Guernsey Dams. | |||||||||
| 5 30 year average. (1977-2006) | |||||||||
North Platte River Basin
Reservoir Inflow
May

North Platte River Basin Outflow
The May outflows were below average for all reservoirs in the North Platte Basin.
| May Outflow |
May Historical Outflow |
Accumulated Outflow (October - May) |
|||||||
| Reservoir | W.Yr. 2007 |
30 Yr. Avg.2 |
% of Avg. |
W.Yr. 2006 |
W.Yr. 2005 |
W.Yr. 2004 |
W.Yr. 2007 |
30 Yr. Avg.2 |
% of Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seminoe | 70.4 | 94.1 | 75 | 168.5 | 80.7 | 33 | 360.7 | 553.5 | 65 |
| Kortes | 70.4 | 94.0 | 75 | 168.5 | 80.7 | 32.9 | 360.6 | 553.2 | 65 |
| Pathfinder | 45.6 | 110.1 | 41 | 167.1 | 121.5 | 77.7 | 329.1 | 451.2 | 73 |
| Alcova | 35.7 | 98.4 | 36 | 154.7 | 112.0 | 63.4 | 315.9 | 437.2 | 72 |
| Gray Reef | 35.9 | 98.2 | 37 | 154.8 | 111.9 | 63.1 | 315.8 | 437.0 | 72 |
| Glendo1 | 38.5 | 122.9 | 31 | 164.8 | 38.8 | 25.4 | 72.6 | 219.3 | 33 |
| Guernsey | 44.1 | 127.7 | 35 | 162.2 | 33.5 | 18.5 | 62.5 | 215.3 | 29 |
| 1 In 1993 an outlet was constructed at Glendo Dam which is used to provide a flow of approximately 25 cubic feet per second. | |||||||||
| 2 30 year average (1977-2006). | |||||||||
North Platte River Basin
Reservoir Outflow
May

North Platte River Basin Reservoir Storage
The May storage for the major reservoirs; Seminoe, Pathfinder and Guernsey was below average. The Pathfinder Reservoir storage was the 3rd lowest May storage in the last 30 years.
| Reservoir | Total Storage End of May |
End of May Historical Storage |
Total Conservation Storage Capacity |
Percent of Capacity |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W.Yr. 2007 |
30 Yr. Avg.1 |
% of Avg. |
W.Yr. 2006 |
W.Yr. 2005 |
W.Yr. 2004 |
|||
| Seminoe | 430.3 | 607.8 | 71 | 460.2 | 487.7 | 363.0 | 1017.3 | 42 |
| Kortes | 4.7 | 4.7 | 100 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 100 |
| Pathfinder | 274.1 | 670.0 | 41 | 301.3 | 210.3 | 298.6 | 1016.5 | 27 |
| Alcova | 180.8 | 179.4 | 101 | 179.6 | 181.2 | 179.4 | 184.4 | 98 |
| Gray Reef | 1.5 | 1.4 | 107 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 83 |
| Glendo | 509.6 | 481.8 | 106 | 423.3 | 459.6 | 418.5 | 517.5 | 98 |
| Guernsey | 27.5 | 35.2 | 78 | 27.8 | 28.6 | 28.7 | 45.6 | 60 |
| Total | 1428.5 | 1980.3 | 72 | 1398.2 | 1373.7 | 1294.1 | 2787.8 | 51 |
| 1 Average is based on the 1977-2006 period. | ||||||||
North Platte River Basin
Resrvoir Storage
End of May

North Platte River Basin Reservoir Storage Ownership
North Platte ownerships were above average. The other ownerships were below average. Kendrick ownership was the 2nd lowest May ownership in the last 30 years. Glendo ownership was the 3rd lowest May ownership in the last 30 years.
| Ownership | Ownership of water End of May |
End of May Historical Ownership |
Total Storage Capacity |
Percent of Capacity |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W.Yr. 2007 |
30 Yr. Avg.5 |
% of Avg. |
W.Yr. 2006 |
W.Yr. 2005 |
W.Yr. 2004 |
|||
| Kendrick | 422.8 | 947.8 | 45 | 516.3 | 621.1 | 720.0 | 1201.7 | 35 |
| North Platte1 | 916.6 | 820.6 | 112 | 823.5 | 677.0 | 455.8 | 1062.1 | 86 |
| Glendo | 76.7 | 157.2 | 49 | 49.7 | 69.1 | 96.2 | 183.2 | 42 |
| Inland Lakes2 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 46.0 | 0 |
| Cheyenne3 | 1.6 | 3.66 | 44 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 10.0 | 16 |
| PacifiCorp4 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 19 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 15 |
| WWDC8 | 4.8 | N/A | N/A | 5.1 | 2.4 | 2.4 | N/A | N/A |
| Other7 | 6.0 | 41.8 | 14 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 4.8 | N/A | N/A |
| 1 This includes North Platte Guernsey and North Platte Pathfinder. | ||||||||
| 2 Water stored temporarily in mainstem facilities for later transfer to the Inland Lakes. This table does not reflect that water currently stored in the Inland Lakes. | ||||||||
| 3 The City of Cheyenne has a storage contract to store water in Seminoe Reservoir by exchange of Upper North Platte Basin water through a system of trans-basin diversions. | ||||||||
| 4 Pacific Power has a storage contract to store water in Glendo Reservoir for Dave Johnston Powerplant. | ||||||||
| 5 Average is based on the 1977-2006 period. | ||||||||
| 6 Average is based on the 1982-2006 period. | ||||||||
| 7 Water which is captured in the re-regulation space of Glendo in addition to storage rights, operational water account, and replacement of evaporation losses is labeled as "Re-regulation of Natural Flow" per Wyoming Board of Control Order Docket Number I-2000-3-8 in water Division Number One. In accordance with 2007 Natural Flow and Ownership Procedures, the operational account may contain up to 15,000 acre-feet. On May 31, 2007, the Operational account contained 5,996 Acre-feet and Re-Regulation space contained 31 acre-feet. | ||||||||
| 8 Wyoming Water Development Commission contracted a portion of Glendo Reservoir re-regulation space for storage of non-project water in 2007. | ||||||||
North Platte River Basin
Ownership of Water
End of May

Inland Lakes Reservoir Storage
| Reservoir | Total Storage End of May |
30 Year Average5 |
Percent of Average |
Total Storage Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Alice | 4,745 | 5,100 | 93 | 11,0341 |
| Little Lake Alice | 212 | 3106 | 68 | 1,1662 |
| Lake Winters Creek | 1,025 | 8926 | 115 | 1,7463 |
| Lake Minatare | 39,369 | 43,800 | 90 | 58,7954 |
| 1 At Elevation 4182.0 | ||||
| 2 At Elevation 4139.0 | ||||
| 3 At Elevation 4125.0 | ||||
| 4 At Elevation 4125.0 | ||||
| 5 30 year average. (1977-2006) | ||||
| 6 16 year average. (1991-2006) | ||||
North Platte River Basin Gross Generation
Power generation was below average for all powerplants in the North Platte Basin.
| May Gross Generation |
May Historical Generation |
Accumulated Gross Gen. (October - May) |
|||||||
| Powerplant | W.Yr. 2007 |
30 Yr. Avg.2 |
% of Avg. |
W.Yr. 2006 |
W.Yr. 2005 |
W.Yr. 2004 |
W.Yr. 2007 |
30 Yr. Avg.2 |
% of Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seminoe | 9.6 | 13.0 | 74 | 24.7 | 11.9 | 3.9 | 41.2 | 82.8 | 50 |
| Kortes | 11.4 | 13.4 | 85 | 29.2 | 13.5 | 5.5 | 51.3 | 90.1 | 57 |
| Fremont Canyon1 | 9.9 | 26.3 | 38 | 39.3 | 28.4 | 19.2 | 61.1 | 115.8 | 53 |
| Alcova | 4.0 | 12.7 | 31 | 21.6 | 14.9 | 8.7 | 33.8 | 55.1 | 61 |
| Glendo | 3.5 | 12.4 | 28 | 17.5 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 20.6 | 17 |
| Guernsey | 2.8 | 3.2 | 88 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 6.4 | 27 |
| 1 The powerplant for Pathfinder Dam is Fremont Canyon. | |||||||||
| 2 Average is based on the 1977-2006 period. | |||||||||
North Platte River Basin
Gross Generation
May

North Platte Estimated April-July Runoff
| Basin | June 1, 2007 Estimated April-July Runoff with actual April and May |
30 Yr. April-July Runoff Avg.2 |
Most Probable % of Avg. |
Comparative Actual April - July Runoff |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reasonable Maximum1 |
Expected | Reasonable Minimum1 |
W.Yr. 2006 |
W.Yr. 2005 |
W.Yr. 2004 |
W.Yr. 2003 |
|||
| Seminoe Reservoir | 495 | 3953 | 345 | 700 | 56 | 546 | 733 | 277 | 530 |
| Sweetwater River Above Pathfinder Reservoir |
30 | 254 | 22 | 62 | 40 | 32 | 66 | 34 | 17 |
| Alcova to Glendo | 110 | 1005 | 98.5 | 121 | 83 | 45 | 39 | 34 | 93 |
| 1 The probability is estimated to be 9 chances in 10 that the actual volume will fall between the reasonable minimum and reasonable maximum. | |||||||||
| 2 Average is based on the 1977-2006 period. | |||||||||
| 3 The actual April-May inflow into Seminoe Reservoir was 273,000 AF. | |||||||||
| 4 The actual April-May inflow from Sweetwater River was 20,000 AF. | |||||||||
| 5 The actual April-May gain between Alcova and Glendo Reservoirs was 96,000 AF. | |||||||||

