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Water Quantity/Quality Program |
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The Water Quality program at LRCD covers several major areas: · Water quality monitoring in the Big Laramie and Little Laramie Rivers · Working with private individuals to implement practices to improve water quality · Water quality education and outreach programs given to local school children and community groups These efforts are funded in large part by funds from the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. |
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Laramie River Restoration Project The project entails streambank stabilization and aquatic habitat restoration on the Laramie River through the City of Laramie. Channel and habitat surveys through the study reach indicate bank and bed instability. The degraded habitat conditions are characterized by a lack of quality pools, little effective streamside cover, infrequent and heavily embedded riffles and spawning bars, and an abundance of wide, shallow, sluggish runs with flat cross-section profiles and little habitat diversity. Historic low late summer base flows further aggravate these poor habitat conditions. Project planning was conducted in 2008, and over 50 treatment sites encompassing over 10,000 linear feet of stream channel within the 3.6-mile study area were identified and designed. Due to the magnitude of the project, implementation is proposed over 3 years (2009-2011), with work at the six highest priority sites (where infrastructure is at serious risk and habitat degradation is greatest), scheduled for 2009 (Year 1). Years 2 and 3 in 2010 and 2011 will include work at the remaining sites. The focus of the treatment design is it to add stability and diversity to the river system through the use of large wood, rocks, and re-vegetation. Large exposed rock (i.e., riprap) will only be used in the most unstable situations, and then only with immediate willow plantings as part of the initial rock treatment. Where such vegetated rock toe treatments are used, rootwad spurs are also included in the design to promote habitat and biological diversity. Rootwad revetments will also be used at other locations along the river to encourage bank healing and fine sediment deposition, which will promote riparian vegetation development. These revetments will also enhance pool habitats for fish. Alternating rock deflectors will be used on long, straight sites to re-establish the low-flow meander pattern as well as narrow and deepen the wetted channel. Boulder clusters are also recommended in several locations to enhance pocket pools and cover for fish. Re-vegetation will be important throughout the project including hydro-seeding and willow planting. Several perennial ponds occupy the Laramie River floodplain through the project area. WGFD fisheries biologists have an interest in developing a fishery in one or more of these in the third year of the project. Studies are under way to determine the best course of action, based on fish survivability and consumption suitability. During Year 3, needed restoration work on the selected pond(s) will be performed including such tasks as dredging, water supply firming, provision of access, tree planting for windbreaks, and fish stocking. Also within Year 3, information and education interpretive materials will be developed. The focus will be to help local educators teach math and science in an outdoor setting. Additional interpretative signs and materials for the public will focus on topics such as river hydrology and processes, aquatic and riparian habitat, ponds and wetlands, fish and wildlife, man’s influence on riverscapes, and many others relating to proper stream and riparian functioning condition. |
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Water Quantity When we conducted a survey of our constituents’ concerns last spring water quantity was one of the top issues. We work on water quantity issues in the following ways: |
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Xeriscape test plot More detailed information on the xeriscape test plot may be downloaded at the following links:
Laramie's Water-wise Demonstration Garden (Trifold brochure)
Laramie's Water-wise Demonstration Garden booklet (large file! >4MB, contains color pictures, etc. of the plants used in the demonstration garden)
Assistance with drip irrigation systems |
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Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network Wyoming was the second state to join the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network and is a major player in the development of the project. CoCoRaHS in Wyoming is supported, in part, by the Office of the State Climatologist/ Wyoming Water Resources Data System at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Project sponsors include the National Weather Service and the USDA Farm Service Agency.
LRCD has distributed several rain gauges and this is where people are supposed to enter the data that they get. Also, it is great for seeing daily precipitation. |
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Volunteers plant water-wise species in the LaBonte Park demonstration garden. |
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Shrubs and trees on drip irrigation at the new high-profile Security First Bank branch on Grand Avenue, funded in part through the LRCD Regular Cost Share Program. |
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Last Modified on January 30, 2012 |
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Routine Monitoring District staff continues to sample the 11 locations on the Big Laramie and Little Laramie Rivers, from the Medicine Bow Mountains to Bosler, an effort to evaluate the health of our major waterways. We monitor pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, and bacteria. We also record discharge numbers from the State Engineer‘s Office. This is the 11th year for the water quality program and the 8th year under the direction of Tony Hoch who has a deep background in geochemistry and water quality. Our data are submitted to the Wyoming Department of water quality annually for their semi-annual 305b report. |
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Community Well Testing Program Did you know that there are no federal regulations pertaining to the quality of private well water? With over 13 million residents on private wells that is an amazing number of unregulated and unmonitored water sources. Lab testing for human consumption (potability) of a private well is not cheap either; analyses run approximately $150 per sample. The EPA suggests that a well be tested annually. |
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For the second year, Laramie Rivers Conservation District and the Wyoming Analytical Lab (WAL) hosted a community well testing program. Through the cost share program and WAL, we were able to test resident’s wells for nitrates, bacteria, sodium, salinity, and pH, for $40.00; a fraction of the regular cost. Our hopes were that we could educate well owners on the quality of their water as well as create awareness about each individual’s responsibility in protecting that ground water. This excellent opportunity was utilized by 35 Albany County residents this year.
Watershed Planning The Upper Crow Creek Watershed Steering Committee has finished their work on the Draft Amendment to the Crow Creek Watershed. The Amendment is intended to address water quality concerns in the upper portion of the Crow Creek watershed located above Granite and Crystal Reservoirs, specifically bacteria impairments identified by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality on Middle Crow Creek and North Branch North Fork Crow Creek. An electronic copy of the Amendment is available on the LCCD web site http://www.lccdnet.org or can be obtained by contacting either the |
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Sampling is conducted over a five week period during two seasons: Spring, when streams are nearing their peak flows and later in the Fall, when streams are low and flowing at what hydrologists call “base flow.” |
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Laramie County Conservation District (Cheyenne) at 772-2600 or the Laramie Rivers Conservation District (Laramie) at 721-0072. Questions? EMAIL TONY HOCH!! |
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This past fall we completed Phase 2 of 3 and saw the work withstand another 200+ year flood event in late spring of 2011. All work is completed south of the Snowy Range Road, including some of the most high profile recreational access sites. Among these are the rock amphitheaters overlooking the river in Optimist Park, and the ― fishing hole‖ site across the Snowy Range Road from the Territorial Prison Park, which features rock piers jutting out from the bank. In addition, we were contracted by BP Amoco to take care of some of their environmental mitigation work along the old Amoco Refinery site, efficiently ―killing two birds with one stone‖ as the old saying goes. We have seen immediate improvements in the fishery, as evidenced by abundant fisherman and their catch. |
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Currently information is available on the progress of this project on the LARAMIE RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT Face Book page. There is additional information here in the Annual Report Copies of the phase 1 Application and the Grant Proposal for phase 2 and 3 are available here. |
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Water Quality Program Facts Streams Monitored: Big Laramie and Little Laramie Rivers Years LRCD has monitored ........ 11 Routine Monitoring Sites ............11 Site visits/year .........................10/site Wells Tested… … … … … … … … … 35 |
