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<br />002047 <br />!." '. <br /> <br />CHAPTER 2 - THE BASIN AND ITS RESOURCES <br /> <br />Before any planning for the future can proceed it is neces- <br /> <br />sary to understand the Platte River Basin, 'especially those charac- <br />teristics for which planning is being accomplished. <br /> <br />A main purpose of this chapter, then, is to describe the <br /> <br />physical characteristics of the basin. Much of the information <br /> <br />was taken from Nebraska's state Water Plan Framework Study Report. <br /> <br />The present and projected characteristics of the people of <br /> <br />the basin--their numbers, their work, and their play--are also im- <br /> <br />portant and described here because these either affect or are af- <br />fected by future management of the basin's land and water resources. <br /> <br />It is necessary to recognize how laws and administration of <br /> <br />policy affect present and future water and related land resources <br /> <br />management and to recognize constraints placed upon such management <br /> <br />by existing laws and administrative policies. These are described <br /> <br />briefly to provide a base for implementation of plans which are <br /> <br />recommended and to show where existing laws act as constraints to t <br /> <br />plans that are considered. <br /> <br />c. <br />,~ <br /> <br />PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br /> <br />The portion of the Platte River drainage area included in <br /> <br />this study extends from the Wyoming-Colorado borders of Nebraska <br /> <br />to the mouth of the Platte River where it enters the Missouri <br /> <br />River near Plattsmouth. Figure 2-1 shows the Missouri River <br /> <br />drainage area, the Platte River drainage area, and the study area <br /> <br />which is the Platte River drainage in Nebraska. The South Platte <br />River heads in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and enters Ne- <br /> <br />braska in Deuel County. The North Platte River also heads in the <br /> <br />2-1 <br /> <br />