THE NORTH PLATTE PROJECT ~utOlUf Wedell, g~'1 GHJ 'J(td~edi~ The North Platte Project is one of the fi rst constructed Settlement of the valley began in the early 1880's and s~all The water supply for the project is obtained from t he North Most of the project soils consist of silt loams and very fine under the Reclama tion Act of 1902. It is located in western individual irrigation systems were built soon after to serve lands Platte River which has its origin. in the mountains of W yoming sandy loams deve loped on long gentle slopes. Generally, t hey and eastern W yoming. Constructed primarily for along the river. Without storage facilities many of these systems and Colorado. The average annual runoff during the period 1928 are deep and well-adapted to the production of irrigated crops. irrigation, facilities were also included for the generation and were unsuccessful. The fi rst investigations of the area by the to 1956 from the 10,700 square mile drainage a rea above Path­ transmission of electric energy. The elevation above sea level of the irrigable areas varies Reclamation Service, the predecessor of the present Bureau of finder was 1,030,000 acre-feet, and from the 5,500 square from 4250 feet at Whalen, W yomin g to about 3600 feet in the The project lands lie along the North Pla tte River Valley R eclamation, were initiated in 1902. The project was author­ mile area between Pathfinder and Guernsey , 240,000 vicinity of Broadwater, Nebraska. Temperatures var y from a BUREAU OF RECLAMATION in Goshen County, W yoming, and in Scotts Bluff, Sioux, a nd ized by the Secretary of the Interior on March 14, 1903. acre-feet. low of -45 deg rees to a high of 106 degrees Fahrenheit. The REG IONAL OFFICE, REG ION 7 Morrill Counties, Nebraska. The lands vary in width from one Construction of the project started in July 1905 with work growing season averages about 135 da ys. Precipitation at Scotts­ BUILDING 46, D ENVER FEDERAL CENTER to ten miles on each side of the river a nd extend III mi les down Senior natural flow rights and court decrees determine the DENVE R, COLORADO on the main Interstate Canal. The first section was completed • bluff, N ebraska, near the center of the irrigable lands, varies the valley from Wha len Diversion Dam. proportion of runoff available to the North Platte Project. from 9.4 inches to 20.7 inches annually with a long time annual in 1907, perm itting localized irrigation during 1908. Construction a verage of 15.10 inches. Major features include Pathfinder and Guernsey Rcservoirs ; on began September 25, 1905 and was completed Releases to the project area from Guernsey Reservoir have Guernsey Powerplant; Whalen Diversion Dam; the I nterstate, June 5, 1909. Whalen Diversion Dam was completed in February averaged 970,000 acre-feet a nnually. Fort Laramie, and N orthport Canals ; distribution laterals ; and 1909. With the completion of , Reservoir and a power transmission systenl. The project furnishes the entire water supply for 226,323 P owerplant in 1927, the project was essentially finished. acres of irrigable land in the four irrigation districts-Pa thfinder, The principal crops are su~ar beets, dry beans, corn, alfalfa On June I, 1926 facilities of the Interstate Canal were turned 102,824 acres; Goshen, 52,484 acres; Gering-Fort Laramie, 54,845 hay, and potatoes. The gross crop va lue in recent years has over to the Pathfinder Irrigation District for operation and acres; and Northport, 16,170 acres. Nine private irrigation approxima ted $90 per acre and in 1958 totalled $20,600,000. T he maintenance. On January I, 1927· the Goshen Irrigation District districts under W arren Act contracts receive supplemental water large quantities of corn. alfalfa hay. a nd sugar beet tops and assumed responsibility for the Fort Laramie Canal facilities in for an irrigable area of 108,715 acres. When available, surplus pulp encourage livestock feeding. More than 50,000 head of W yoming and t he Gerin g-Fort Laramie Irrigation District took storage water has also been purchased on an annual basis by ca ttle, 350,000 head of sheep, and 50,000 hogs a re " finished" over the Nebraska portion. On the same date Northport Canal other private irrigation districts. In the future these 34,470 each year in t he valley. works were transferred to the Northport Irrigation District. acres of irrigable land will receive supplemental water from Sugar beets are processed in t h e area. There are meat PATHFINDER DAM , a feature of the Missouri River Basin Project. packing facilities at Ge ring and slaug htering p lants in other places. A canning plant in Scottsbluff processes green peas, The annual diversion requirement per acre of irrigable land beans. pumpkin. sweet corn, and cabba ge. Project farms are and the farm delivery per acre averaged 3.31 and 1. 18 acre-feet , served by local elevators and warehouses; shipments of produce respectively, in the Pathfinder District during the five-year are forwarded to all major markets of the Un.ited States. The period ending 1957; 2.15 and 1.22 in Goshen ; 2.33 and 1. 28 in area is served by major highways ; trucking companies ; and the Gering-Fort Laramie ; and 3.3 1 and 1.45 in Northpor t. Union Pacific a nd Chicago, Burling ton and Quincy Railroads.

FREMONT CANYON RAY REEF DAM AND RESERVOIR After completion of the North Platte Project, other devel­ (G lendo Unit) (Glendo Unit) opments were constructed on the Nort h P la tte River by the Bureau of Reclamation. Principal features of the Kcndnck Project are , Reservoir, and Powerplant ; , Reservoir, and Powerplant; transmission lines; and canals GLENDO DAM. RESERVOIR and laterals serving the project lands west of Casper, W yoming. PATHFINDER DAM AND AND POWERPLANT (Gle ndo Unit) The Kortes and Glendo Units of the Missouri River Basin NORTH PLATTE PROJECT RESERVOIR P roject are located in the area. , Reservoir, and Powerplant are the features of the Kortes Unit. The Glendo Unit consists of the F remont Canyon Powerplant ; Gra y Reef NEBRASKA Dam and Reservoir; and the Glendo Dam, Reservoir, and Power­ DAM, RESERVOIR AND POWER PLANT plant. Transmission lines serving t he area and interconnected (Kortes Unit) with other Bureau systems are also part of t he Missouri River SEMINOE DAM, RESERVOIR Basin Project. AND POWERPLANT (KfJndrlck Project}

The project irrigation systems-Interstate, Fort Laramie, PATHFINDER IRRIGATION DISTRICT and Northport-are operated and maintained by the irrigation districts served, with the exception of the Wyoming section of the Fort Laramie Canal. This reach of canal is operated and maintained by the Goshen Irrigation District with the Gering­ Fort Laramie Irrigation District sharing the cost. Pathfinder and Guernsey Dams and Reservoirs, Whalen Diversion Dam, Guernsey Powerplant, and the t ransmission system are operated and maintained by the United Sta t es. The reservoir and power system operations are integrated with others in the Western Division of the Bureau's Missouri River Basin power system. Centralized control and dispatc hing is under the supervision of the Power Dispatching and Water Scheduling (Heodquor fers- Gering, Nebr.) Divisions of the South P latte River Projects Office near L ove­ land, Colorado.

------<11w P'UJ.jeci P/fi,H,------p~~ ~~------Pathfinder Reservoir on the North Pla tte River southwest Water diverted near the W yoming-Nebraska State line is The fertile soils, dependable water supply, g ood growing MAJOR REGULATORY RESERVOIRS of Casper, Wyoming provides the principal project storage. carried 80 miles throug h the pri va tely-owned Tri-State Canal MAJOR STORAGE RESERVOIRS season, established marketing facilities, and specialized farm The dam, a masonry arch gravity structure, rises 192 feet above to the head gate of the Northport Canal and la teral system. This Guernsey Item Lake Alice Loke Minatare experience combine to make this highly-developed irrigated Item Pa thfinder the streambed. Outlet tunnels through the north and south system serves the Northport Irrigation District near the easterly area an important source of the national food supply. Sugar IRRIGATED CROPS Dams Normal Water Surface El. (Ft.) 4,182 4,125 abutments were constructed. Facilities for the Fremont Canyon end of the project. Normal Capacity (Ac.-Ft.) 11,171 60,766 production in a normal year supplies the needs of 2,400,000 P owerplant, part of the Glendo Unit of the Missouri River A total of 352 miles of open drains and 28 miles of closed Type Masonry Arch Earth and Surface Area (Ac.) 784 2,158 people, potato production 4,500,000 people, edible bean produc­ Gravity Rock-Fill Basin Project, include a pressure tunnel from P athfinder Reser­ drains carry off waste and seepag e water. One hundred and 135 DIVERSION DAM ninety-four miles of 34. 5 KV project transmission lines distribute tion 14,000,000 people, and meat production 4,500,000 people. Structural Height (Ft.) 214 voir to the powerplant. The south tunnel outlet has been aban­ Hydraulic Height (Ft. ) 184 95 Item Diverts Length of Weir Length of Dikes doned and all releases are made throug h the powerplant and power in the area. The irrigated land is 7 times more valuable per acre than Length of Crest (Ft.) 432 560 (ds) (Ft.) (Ft.) the north tunnel outlet. The Ling le Powerplant, utilizing water from the Fort the average adjacent dry land. An acre of irrigated land out­ Width of Crest (Ft.) 10.9 25 Laramie Canal, was constructed near Lingle, W yoming. During Width of Base (Ft.) 96.5 720 Wha len 2,200 and 300 2,000 Additional storage and regulation is furnisl;led by Guernsey produces the dry land by a ratio of 13:1. It supports 27 times the early years of its operation power was furnished to elec­ Crest Elevation (Ft.) 5,860 4,430 1,500 the population, which pays 20 times more in property taxes Volume (Cu. Yds.) 65,700 586,200 Reservoir on t he near Guernsey, W yoming. trically powered draglines working on the project. After com­ and 33 times more in Federal taxes. DISTRIBUTION AND DRA INAGE SYSTEMS The earth and rockfill dam rises 105 feet above the streambed. pletion of the project, the 1,400 kilowatt plant was used until Rese rvoirs Minatare, Guernsey, and Pathfinder Reservoirs, easily acces­ Sediment deposition has reduced the capacity of the reservoir May I. 1956 when it was placed in a non-operating status. Item Interstate Fort Laramie Northport Practically a ll trade and commerce in the' four-county area sible by roads, provide recreation for visitors. Boating, fishing, 4,420 from 73,810 to 44,800 acre-feet. A penstock tunnel delivers wa ter Normal watersurf.E1.(F;--)[ 5,850.1 stems from agricult ure and about four-fifths of the farm products swimming and camping are the major activities. Antelope hunt­ Normal Capacity (Ac. F t .) 1,016.000 Initial 73,810 Main Canals from the reservoir to the Guernsey Powerplant. are produced on irrigated land. On an acre basis, income pay­ ing and collecting Indian artifacts are popular on the perimeter [ Now 44,800 Initial Capacity (ds) 2,200 ·1,500 250 of . Surface Area (Ac.) 22,011 2,382 Length (Miles) 182 130 28 W halen Diversion Dam diverts water to the Interstate and ments to individuals stemming from irrigated land are 40 t imes Laterals (Miles) 633 585 75 Fort L a ramie Canals. It consists of a concrete overflow section, greater than from adjacent dry land . Recreation at P athfinder Reservoir is administered by the Spillway and Outlet Works Drains sluice gates, headworks, and an earth dike. Bureau of Reclamation. The reservoir is also the principal Spillway Uncontrolled North - Gated Open (Miles) 47 285 20 FORT Commerce and industry have progressed wit h irrigation . feature of the Pathfinder Na tional Wild life Refuge where ma ny O verflow Channel Closed (Miles) 28 As irrigation developed there has been a parallel growth of Canadian geese nest a nd other migratory birds and waterfowl South - Gated P a thfinder Irrigation District and other lands on the north LARAMIE POWER SYSTEM lumber yards, implement companies. crop storage facilities, food pass throug h. The Fish and W ild life Service is responsible for Tunnel side of the river are served by the Interstate Canal and lateral the management of National Wildli fe Refuges. 65,000 54,000 & 30,000 CANAL and feed processing plants, wholesale and retail stores, and Spillway Capacit y (ds) Item Guernsey Powerplant Transm ission Lines system. The canal a lso feeds Lake Alice, Lake Minatare, and Picnic and camping facilities and cabin sites are available Spillway Crest Elev. (Ft.) 5,580.1 4,370 & 4,405.5 Number of Units 2 two small reservoirs for reregula tion a nd storage. service establishments. at Guernsey Reservoir and Lake Minatare . .Guernse y Reservoir Outlet North Tunnel Penstock Tunnel Maximum Head 90 Ft. Area is a State Park administered by the W yoming State Parks and Fremont As of February 1959, four-fifths of the original project con­ Capacity 4,800 KW 34.5 KV The Fort Laramie Canal and lateral system serves the Commission. T he Bureau of Reclamation administers recreation Canyon Power Annual Generation 26,000,000 KWH Goshen Irrigation District, the Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation struction cost of $20,700,000 has been repaid to the F ederal uses at Lake Minatare ; the North Platte National Wildlife Tunnel Outlet Capacity (ds) 2, I 00 & 2,320 1,000 Total Lengt h 194 Miles District. and other lands south of the river. Treasury by water users and from power revenues. R efuge centers around Lake Minatare.