Master Plan Update

Trihydro supported Wyoming’s largest irrigation district in updating its master plan to provide a roadmap for prioritizing system improvements.

Trihydro supported the Midvale Irrigation District (MID), Wyoming’s largest irrigation district, in updating its master plan to provide a roadmap for prioritizing system improvements. The district, located in Fremont County, manages more than 400 miles of canals and laterals and delivers water to over 70,000 irrigated acres and 900 water users.

After securing funding from the Wyoming Water Development Commission for a master plan update, the district chose Trihydro to execute the project. The plan serves as a new guide for the district to follow for system maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement priorities, system operations and efficiency upgrades, and approaches for funding projects.

Over 2,000 irrigation structures were re-inventoried and assessed to develop an updated database of all structures and their current condition. The structures were evaluated and prioritized using the Rehabilitation Priority Index (RPI), which uses an algorithm that considers structure condition, structure type, and dependent irrigated acres. Structures with the highest RPI score represent those that may result in the greatest disruption to MID deliveries if they failed. The top ranked structures were the basis for the developed rehabilitation plan.

In addition to the structure inventory and RPI assessment, the project included the following tasks:

• Assessment of MID’s existing SCADA system and recommendations for potential improvements.
• Seepage analysis and recommendations for conveyance improvements such as ditch-to-pipe conversions or lining projects.
• Tabulation and mapping of water rights within the project GIS.
• Economic evaluation of MID’s current assessment system and comparison to future operations and maintenance funding.
• Development of 50 conceptual designs and cost estimates to support future planning and funding applications.