Fremont Lake, Wyoming — Some aspects of the inflow of water and sediment

Fremont Lake is a large (20.6 sq km), deep lake (185 m) in western Wyoming. Average annual inflow of water is about 5.1 cu meters/sec, and this discharge is equaled or exceeded about 23% of the time. Annual instantaneous peak flows of Pine Creek usually exceed 30 cu m/sec and the 100-year flood is about 80 cu m/sec. About 800 tons of sediment are delivered to the lake annually; annual deposition of sediment in the northern lake area throughout the last 10,000 years about equals contemporary values of sediment inflow. Only small quantities of fine-gradient sediment are transported beyond the delta at the northern end of the lake. Current rates of deposition in the delta are about 1 to 3 mm/yr. Sediment in the delta generally is sand size; elsewhere in the lake, sediment generally is clay and silt size. (USGS)