WSPC02114

• File Number: 8408
• Description: River Basin General Correspondence
• Date: 1/1/1930
• Title: North Platte Irrigation Project, Nebraska and Wyoming - Map No. 23600
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Map

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Water SV.pp/lI.-Water for irrigation is obtained by the storage of flood water of North Platte River
in Pathfinder and Guernsey Reservoirs, having a combined capacity of 1,141 ,060 acre-feet at spillway
.level. The Pathfinder Dam, one of the largest masonry dams in the worla, rises 218 feet above its rock
foundation, This storage is supplemented by smaller reservoirs on the Interstate Division, Economy in
distribution is secured by regulation at the Guernsey Reservoir, Power plants located near Lingle, Wyo-
ming, and at the Guernsey Dam furnish electrical energy for the needs of the project. Pathfinder Reser-
voir is located about 50 miles southwest of Casper, Wyoming, Water is released as required, and flows
down North Platte River for a distance of 168 miles to the Guernsey Reservoir which acts as a regulating
reservoir, This reservoir is located approximately 7 miles above the Whalen Diversion Dam, where the
water is diverted into the Interstate Canal which carries water for the irrigation of the 114,000 acres of
irrigable land under the Interstate Division on the north side of the river and into the Fort Laramie Canal
which carries water for the irri!('ltion of the 107,000 acres of irrigable land under the Fort Laramie Divi-
sion on the south side of the rIver, A diversion is also made near the State line through the Tri-State
Canal of the Farmers' Irrigation District to water the 16,000 acres of irrigable land under the Northport
Division, The stora!l'e reservoirs, the Whalen Diversion Dam and tbe power system, are operated and
maintained by the Bureau of Reclamation, The water is distributed to each individual tract of land througb
a network of canals and laterals operated and maintained br the Pathfinder Irri~ation District on the Inter-
state Division; the Goshen Irrigation District and the Genng and Fort..Laramle Irri~tion District on the
Fort Laramie Division; and the Northport Irrigation District on the Northport DiVIsion, The irrigation
system has been substantially constnlcted, all of the stroctures being built of concrete and steel. The
v(\lter supply is ample for the land to be imgated and surplus storage water has been sold to private irriga-
tion districts in the valleYj subject however, to the prior right of use for the lands under the project.
Domestic water supp y is available on practically every farm by ordinary bored or dug wells which
yield very satisfactory drinking water,
Soi/s,-The soils vary from the Iighi san~ soil found on parts of the Interstate Division to the heavier
or gumbo soils which are found i~ some oCaIitles on ~e Fort La~i~ Division. A greate~ part .of the soil
is a sand'y loam of excellent qualIty, free from alkali and other inJUrIOus substances. It IS easily worked
and particularly well adapted to the raising of fine potatoes and sugar beets. The soils are very productive
. and raise large y;elds of all crops adapted to this chmate, Comparatively small areas are affected by seep;
age and in cases where the cost is not prohibitive the ditches for the proper drainage of the land are con-
structed by the irri~tion districts.
Cropa.-The soli and climate are favorable for the growing of practically any temperate zone crop,
The principal crops raised are in the order of the acreage devoted to each crop, sugar beets, alfalfa,
barley, corn, oats. potatoes, wheat, and sweet clover. The other crops grown are on relatively small
aci:1e. The total crop value for the crops'raised on the North Platte Project on irrigated land in 1928
was .456,200. Su beeta and potatoes are nerally the most profitable crops. Froit has not been
rai commercially ruI many farmers raise smSfroits and some tree froits for home consumption, By
far the largest area is in a1faIf&, sugar beets, barley, and corn, the barley. corn and alfalfa bemg grown
for stock feedinlf and also in rotation with potatoes, sugar beets, and small grains, The acreage of sweet
clover is increasmg" each year owing to its value as pasture and in maintaining the fertility of the soil,
lnformatimt for Hame Seekers.-The constroction work on the project has been completed and a
large part of the project has been under irrigation for several years and is lUadually becoming a hi~hIr
developed farming community with many beautilul and modern homes, Tliere is no more vacant UTI-
gable government land on the project, but land in private ownership in any stage of development, from
raw land which can be irrigateil to the most highly developed' irrigation farm, rAn be p'urcha8ed at prices
ranging from $15 to $300 per acre, according to the state of development and the classIfication of the soil,

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Ray Lyman Wilbur, Se<retary

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

Elwood Mead, Comml..,;oner

R. F. Walter. Chief Eneln....

NORTH PLATTE IRRIGATION PROJECT
NEBRASKA - WYOMING

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Map No. 23000
Pnpuod In the Wabl...... Ofllco
J. R. P~Uea. Chief Draft:sm.ulo

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Scal. of Mil..

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PRICE 25 CENTS

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Ma,'kels. -The marketing facilities for the
project are exceptionally good, The surplus
crops and farm products find excellent mar-
kets in Casper, Denver Omaha, Kansas
City, Chicago, and other large cities, wbich
are accessible through the splendid shipping
facilities offered by the two main line rail-
roads in the valley. A large amount of the
crops raised is llsed' locally, There are 7
sugar factories in operatIOn, n of which
belong to the Great Western Sligar Company
and one to the Hollv Sugar Corporation.
These not only take the crop of beets raised
but furnish in the way of beet tops, pulp
and molasses, excellent hy-products for stock
feeding, Beet dumps are conveniently
located along the railroad lines and about
60 miles of branch lines have been con-
stnlcted, especially for the purpose of col-
lecting beets,

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING
THE NORTH PLATTE IRRIGATION PROJECT,ANO
METHOD OF OBTAINING LAND, WRITE TO THE
COMMISSIONER. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION,
WASHINGTON, D, C,

EXPLANATION

-----CANALS

.....---- PROPOSED CANALS

------ DRAINS

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UNITED STATES POWER
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TRANSMISSION LINES

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U,S, TELEPHONE LINES

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COUNTY SEATS

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AREA UNDER PROJECT

AREA UNDER
WARREN ACT CONTRACTS

SEE
INDEX
MAP

AREA COVERED BY FIVE TOPOGRAPHIC
MAPS. SCALE, TWO INCHES=QNE MILE.
PRICE 25 CENTS EACH.

....".SMITH. E_A.DACEY

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IRRIGATION WORKS ARE BEING OPERATED AND MAINTAINED AS FOLLOWS:

ON THE INTERSTATE DIVISION BY
PATHFINDER IRRIGATION DISTRICT
HEADOUARTERS. MITCHELl. NEBRASKA
ON THE FORT LARAMIE DIVISION IN WYOMING BY
GOSHEN IRRIGATION DISTRICT
HEADQUARTERS. YORRINGTON, WYOMING
ON THE fORT LARAMIE DIVISION IN NEBRASKA BY
GERING AND FORT LARAMIE IRRIGATION DISTRICT
HEADQUARTERS, GERING. NEBRASKA
ON THE NORTH PORT DIVISION BY
NORTHPQRT IRRIGATION DISTRICT
HEADOUARTERS, NORTHPORT. NEBRASKA

INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE OPERATIONS OF THE DISTRICTS.
INCLUDING THE ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION OF IRRIGATION CHARGES
CAN BE OBTAINED BY WRITING TO THE MANAGERS OF THE DISTRICTS.

THE RESERVEO WORKS. INCLUOING THE PATHFINDER AND GUERNSEY
RESERVOIRS. THE WHALEN DIVERSION DAM AND THE POWER SYSTEM,
ARE OPERATED AND MAINTAINED BY THE GOVERNMENT WITH HEAD-
QUARTERS AT THE GUERNSEY DAM NEAR GUERNSEY. WYOMING.

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