In Wyoming, the river basin planning process helps regularly assess current water use in the municipal, agricultural, industrial, and environmental/recreation sectors, document changes in economic conditions affecting water use, and identify and prioritize water development opportunities. The Platte River Basin Plan was the seventh and last of a series of Wyoming river basin plans prepared for the Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC). The Platte River Basin Plan’s primary goals were to:
- Maintain an inventory of water data to enable state and local decision-makers to manage water resources efficiently
- Assist the Wyoming State Legislature and the Governor in developing state water policies to protect Wyoming’s water and promote responsible development
- Give Wyoming citizens access to the water information they need to understand water issues at the grassroots level
In addition to project management, Trihydro was responsible for quantifying the water resources within the basin; determining water profiles for agricultural, municipal/domestic, industrial, recreational, and environmental uses; completing extensive consumptive use of irrigation water calculations; projecting water demand for each of the profiled uses; identifying future structural and non-structural water management opportunities; identifying opportunities to enhance and protect water quality at the basin level; and coordinating and assisting a local Basin Advisory Group with the planning effort.
Trihydro also developed a web-based educational tool to facilitate information management and public outreach. The tool illustrated the general ground and surface water hydrology and existing water-related facilities and features in the Platte River Basin, current water uses in the basin, and basin decree allocations. Water plan accessibility by many groups and individuals was an important design value for the educational tool; Trihydro worked with WWDC to develop an interactive geographic information system (GIS) database for use by a wide variety of interested groups and individuals.
The completed Platte River Basin Plan assisted Wyoming municipalities, irrigation districts, and other public entities in planning for the future, and the final report included insights into several factors related to successful future development and water use, including water availability, funding, public involvement, court decrees, and water quality considerations.