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<br />000911 <br /> <br />.~ . . <br /> <br />SYNOPSIS <br /> <br />GENERAL <br /> <br />This is the twenty-second consecutive year that an Annual Operating plan <br />has been prepared for the federally owned reservoirs serving an irriga- <br />tion function in. the Niobrara, Lower Platte, and Kansas River Basins. <br />There are 15 dams and reservoirs in Colorado, Nebraska, and KaOlsas. These <br />reservoirs with 10 diversion dams, 10 pumping plants, and 22 canal systems <br />serve approximately 268,600 acres of ~roject lands in Nebraska and Kansas. <br />A map in the back of this report shows the location of these features. <br />The reservoirs in the Niobrara and Lower Platte River Basins are operated <br />by either irrigation or reclamation districts, and the reservoirs in the <br />Kansas River Basin are operated by either the Bureau of Reclamation or the <br />Corps of Engineers. The diversion darns, pumping plants, and canal systems <br />are operated by either irrigation or reclamation districts. <br /> <br />-:-" <br /> <br />....:.. <br /> <br />;-.:',-\} <br /> <br />In addition to irrigatio~, these features serve flood control, municipal <br />and industrial water, recreation, and fish and wildlife purposes~ <br /> <br />The "Headlines 74" following this Synopsis is indicative of the awareness <br />of local people of natural resource development and conservation in the <br />Niobrara, Lower platte, and Kansas River Basins. <br /> <br />1974 SUMMARY <br /> <br />Climatic Conditions. The total precipitation during 1974 varied from 54 <br />to 91 percent of normal over the operating area. The temperatures during <br />the irrigation season were generally above normal. <br /> <br />Storage Reservoirs. <br /> <br />A. Conservation Operations - The 1974 inflows were within the range of <br />forecasted dry, normal or wet years for all reservoirs with the ex- <br />ception of. Lovewell, which was slightly above the ~ Tet-year forecast, <br />and Bonny, Enders, and Norton which were slightly below the dry-year <br />forecast. Ha:::-ry Strunk Lake y..'as drawn down to its lowest '.yater level <br />since 1955. The active conservation storage was evacuated from. Box <br />Butte, Sherman and Norton Reservoirs in 1974. The carryover storage <br />in Box Butte and Norton Reservoirs and the available inflows and <br />strearnflows below these dams were inadequate to fully supply the ir- <br />rigation requirements of the project lands served by the reservoirs. <br />Even though the active storage of Enders Reservoir was not completely <br />evacuated, a slight shortage was experienced in order to conserve <br />water for ~he 1975 season. The water supply was adequate in the other <br />12 reservoirs described in this report~ <br /> <br />.:~.~:'::~ <br />....," <br /> <br />1 <br />