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, -iJg9" li u ,...'. 1975 OUTLOOK The \!later level in the reservoir on January 1, 1975, was -about three feet lower than it was on that day one year previously. The Mirage Flats Ir- rigation District will announce to their water users in the spring the amount of water that will be available from Box Butte storage. The pro- ject water supply is expected to be inadequate in 1975 as it has been in past years. The district plans, hOh'ever, for the irrigators to continue the use of water from privately owned irrigation wells as a supplemental supply. There are 11,000 acres expected to be irrigated in 1975. 'I AINSWORTH UNIT, SANDHILL,s DIVISION IN NEBRASKA GENERAL The water supply for 33,960 acres in the Ains\vorth Irrigation District is provided by lVlerri t t Res(~.~'voir storage and Snake rd ver flows. To avoid ice damage to the upstream face of Merritt Dam during the winter months, reJeases from f.1erritt Reservoir are regulated to maintain a \.Jater level about 5 feet below the top of the conservation capacity. vlhen the reser- voir surface cleurs of ice each spring, the conservati.on capacity is slowly filled. This operation greatly enhances the spring spawning of fish. .;.. : ':: ;.~.. :~" ':'.~ -{- . .". .... The Ainsworth Irrigation District cooperates with the Nebraska Game and ['arks Corrrnission by avoiding sudden large changes in reservoir releases. SmDll releases are also regulated as necessary to maintain a minimum flow of 15 cfs in the Snake River below Mel'l'itt Dam. 1974 SUMMARY The total precipitation of 11.86 inches for the year in the Merritt Darn vicinity was 68 percent of normal. The water supply was more than ade- qua.te to meet the i.rrigation requirements of 68,222 acre-feet to serve tho; 32,537 acres of irrigated land. The gross crop value was $9,922,688, which is over 3,400,000 dollal's greater than the previous year. 1975 OUTLOOK :-;:;{~/~; ';""/ Releases from Merritt Reservoir will be regulated to slowly fill the con- servation capacity by mid-May. The water supply is expected to be adequate for the il'rigation of an estimated 32,537 acres. SARGENT UNIT, MIDDLE LOUP DIVISION IN NEBRASKA GENERAL The Sargent Irrigation District has contracted with the Loup Basin Recla- mation District for the operation and maintenance of the Milburn Diversion 9