Understanding Water Use in Montana

an Experiment in Geospatially Enabling the DNRC Water Rights Database

Yellowstone River Conservation Districts Council

November 4, 2011

Montana DNRC

Jim Robinson Troy Blandford Elizabeth Murray Kris Hardman

Evan Hammer Duane Lund

Montana NRIS

Montana Water Planning

Montana Water Planning

NHD Surface Water Features and Flowlines

Source: USGS

POD2NHD Migration Experiment

Overall Goal:
Assess the feasibility of geospatially enabling the DNRC Water Rights Database (WRDB) and integrating it with other event data associated with the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). Develop water use data associated with individual water rights in a form that supports hydrologic analysis and water planning; Estimate level of effort to implement on a larger scale; Education and demonstration purposes.

Objectives
1. 2. 3.

Location Map: Tongue River Basin and Pumpkin Creek Subwatershed, MT

Warrior Trail (now Hwy 212)

Pumpkin Ck

1880s Homesteader Cabin

Pumpkin Creek

Pumpkin Creek at Hwy 212

Pumpkin Creek
Mean Monthly Discharge
50 45 40 35 30

cfs

25 20 15 10 5 0
Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Pumpkin Creek Streamflow Statistics

Total volume of surface water diverted for irrigation in Pumpkin Creek = 124,603 ac-ft

POD2NHD Migration Experiment

Pumpkin Creek Irrigated Lands:
From adjudication data (acres) Claimed = 14,640 Examined = 13,670 WRS = 10,432 (Custer 1948 , Powder River 1961) From DOR FLU data (acres) flood = 94 pivot = 2 sprinkler = 0 Total = 96

POD2NHD Migration Experiment

Approach
Tie points of diversion (PODs) in Basin 42C from legal lands description centroids onto NHD flowlines; Employ phased approach to make the project manageable Employ best available information to examine individual POD locations and make appropriate edits (i.e. POD2NHD)

POD2NHD Migration Experiment Results

Phase II Pumpkin Creek (sub-basin within 42C)

1697 PODs - 17 different means of diversion. No Action= 593/ 1697 (35.6%) = 97 Instream Fisheries (100 %) + 467 Wells (100%) + 29 Livestock Direct + minor developed and undeveloped springs, spring boxes and pumps. Manually Placed to NHD = 1028/1697 (60.6.6%) Placed on Proposed NHD = 76/1697 (4.5%)

POD2NHD Migration Experiment

PUMPKIN CREEK BY MEANS OF DIVERSION
600 500 400 300 200 100 0

Pumpkin Creek Watershed

Wells = 495 PODs (29%) Groundwater Rights

Springs = 223 PODs (13%)

Developed Springs (63) Springbox (28) Undeveloped Springs (15) Livestock Direct (117)

Value added to NHD Dams

Dams currently in the NHD high-resolution dataset: 23 Water Right Dams: 488

Pumpkin Creek Watershed POD Dams versus NHD Dams WRDB Dam

WRDB/NHD Dam WRDB Dam

Pumpkin Creek Watershed Surface Water Rights

Dikes, Diversions, etc. = 346 PODs (20%)

POD2NHD Migration Experiment

(Example of a many-to-many relationship) Water Right No. 42C 129192 00
Priority date = 1900

(7) PODs
Diversion means: Dike w/ water spreading Max flow rate: No specific flow rate b/c use consists of direct flow water spreading Max Volume: 665 AC-FT

(22) POUs
Max Acres: 686 Mapped Acres: 651

Abstract Note: POD is moveable all along source within legal land description

POD2NHD Migration Experiment

Conclusions:
It is possible to index Montanas water right data to the NHD, but the purpose and need must clarified. Some of the diversions types are straight forward to map (e.g. dams), others are not (water spreading dikes). Some simplification is necessary to index certain diversion types to the NHD.

Next Steps:
1. Update the high-resolution NHD in partnership with federal, state and local partners; 2. Work with USGS and NRIS to publish the data as part of the NHD; 3. Investigate the effect of surface water development on prairie stream hydrology in a suitable drainage in the Yellowstone Basin.

Questions?

Pumpkin Creek - June 2011