, 1922-09-07
Water REPORT SUBMITTED
BY. COLORADO ENGINEER
EXHAUSTIVE survey OF every PHASE 0F RAWIINS
WATER PROBLEM MADE AND NOW Being CON-
S'DDEERED BY The BOARD Of TRUSTEES

The Itawlins board of trustees
met in regular session last evening
and transacted the regular routine
business in addition TO which the
members received officially the re
port of tho Weiland Engineering
company. OF Denver. on the various
practi"abl" sources &C a domestic
water supply for til city. A. A..
Wcilani, Of tn" Wciland Engineer
inE conn any vas present in person
with this report and vill rc,nain for
several days in consultation with
titN FngtrC"r Wisra and members
Of the board. The report of the en-
! E]incrrs. who have beer at work in
the fl, Id for several weeks is very
comprehensive and covers every
possible detail which is in any way
, "e Icntial to the ultiinnte acquisition
OF a new water system on the part of
the city Of Rawlins. which will pro-
vide an ~inexhaustibln supply OF
pure. wholesome water for domestic
use at Il minimum OF initial coast
and expense of upkrcD.
The report begins with the pre-; y
ent supply, which is dismissed with
the statement that in only one way
can 1t be made to fill the require
m"nts Of the city and that is by
chemical treatment. the cost OF
which would be found to be pro-
hibitive. The present water in use
in the city contains an enormous
amount Of solids. shown on an
alys.s to b. 1866 grains per gal
lon.
Next the investigation took in the
r"w eel at Ih" Wyoming stat"
p"njtentiary. which was found upon
aralyeis to be Of vory hi"h quality.
but owing to tnc geological iUrmH-
ton through which this water
reaches the surface the quantity
which could be secured would not be
sufficient for a city the size of Raw
Inns, taking into account IA reason
able increase in population. This
source, while touched upon briefly,
was abandoned for the reasons Sug-
geSted.
Sage Creek Source
The Weiland report dcvotes a
great deal of attention to the pos
sibilities of the Sage creek springs
and goes into details which cover
every phase OF this suggested source
of supply. The springs. which are
about 30 miles from the city. are %
in number, each Independent of the
other. and yet so located that they
can all be merged into n central
pipe line for direct delivery to the
city mains. Accurate measurements
show that these springs produce g.
600. 900 gallons of water every "a
hours OF the purest quality possible.
Another point is the fact that these
springs are remarkably cold, the
average temperature for the entire
year being 80 deg. Fahercnheit. Con-
tiguous to these springs is an artes-
Ian area, "a the Rasmussen ranch,
from which can be developed, If
need should ever arise. any quantity
of equally pure water. which can be
connected with the pipes and de-
livered in Rawlins by gravity flow.
The Ok Bow Projects
This section of the Platte river.
which forms two OK bows as It
flows on its way to the Pathfinder
dam and to irrigate a part of Neb-
raska, Is very familiar to the peo-
pie of Rawlins and has been the
tentative location Of innumerable
power and water projects. These are
generally referred to as the big
and little" OK bows and they are
carefully considered in the report
Of Mr.. Weiland. Two plans for the
utilization of the flow of the Plat"
river from these points are sub
mitted.
First contemplates the installation
Of hydraulic pumping machinery for
the purpose Of generating power
which will raise the water to a high
point, about S niles distant, from
which it would flow by gravity into
Rawlins, the total distance Of the
necessary 15-inch main being about
20 miles.
Second OK bow plan involves the
development Of a hydro-electric
plant at each OF the bows. develop
ing power for delivery at a point a
little below Fort Steele. This pow
ter through a main pipe direct to
Ra Wins as distance Of approximate
iy II miles.
Canyon Development
Another point selected in the report
for the source of supply is a narrow
neck in the Platte river SR miles
known as the "canyon." Here it is
that the waters of the
river be impounded by a dam 80
feet high and 800 feet long, which
would make a reservoir Az miles
long at high water. One of the
distinct advantages OF this particular
project Is that 1t is a lone man
source OF supply. At the foot or
this dam 1t is proposed to construct
q power house and to install water
turbines connected with high grade
pumps.
Conclusions