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O;:):J91~ B. Flood Control Operat.ions - No flood control benefits were accrued in 1974. The accumulated flood control benefits for the years 1951 through 1974 by the facilities covered in this report total 539,625,000. Water Service. There were 558,880 acre-feet of water diverted to irrigate 239,270 ilcres of project lends in 13 irrigation districts. The project vlater supply 'Nas inadequate for 16/184 acres or lands irrigated in the Mirage Flats and Almena Irrigation Districts. Arrange.ments wer-e made by these two districts with owners of private irrigation wells for a supple- mental water supply to <iist.rict lands. Project '.'later ::3upplies ror H & P.r.'! and Frenchma.n Valley Irrigation Districts may haye not be~n totally adequa.j~e as crop yields were slightly below normal. The project water supplies fer the othet" units mentioned in this report were ade(].uate in 1974. The full v.'ater requirements' of three rnunicipe.lities, two industrial com- panies, and a Federal fish hatchery were furnished from storage releases or natural flows. U~der a long-term contract, 29,258 acre-feet were diverted to irrigate 13,334 ilcres of !1o:1-project lands in the MiddLe Loup P'lbLic ."o'''er and Irrigation Di5trict. '.'-.~.',. . :''".\' , Irrigation production. The crop yields froIfl project lands in 1974 'vo'ere lower on the average tha~ in 1973. Corn, the principal c~op, dropped from IlL bushel average to 107 Dushels. In 1974, the uni t prices for all comrnr,dities wP......p '!;Iud'! bi0he:t- than those in prelTi,()us .:renrs. The -t974 gr0s5 crop value a~ ~~j,659,040 was l4lt of tIle 19'13 gross crop value, and the gross average increased from $239.23 per acre in 1973 to $324.58 per acre in 1974. Fish and Wildlife and Recreation Benefits. The operations in 1974 were favorable for the recreation and fish and wildlife uses. The Youth Conservation Corps camps at McCook, Nebraska, and Hays, Kansas, performed work on recreation facilities which enhanced the visitations at Enders, Swanson, Hugh Butler, Norton, Cedar Bluff, Webster and Kirwin Public Use Areas. ::. ....' .~;:.: 1975 OUTLOOK '. ~~.:. " ,., The irrigation and reclamation districts estimate that 246,915 acres of project land will be irrigated in 1975. The operation studies inc,icate that if 1975 is a dry year, the project water supplies will be inadequate for the irrigation of 84,000 acr~s in Mirage Flats, H & RW, Frenchman Valley, Alrnena, Farwell and ~~ebster Irrigation Districts. As in past years, the Mirage Flats and Almena Irrigation Districts. plan to use ....later from private irrigation wells to supplement the project water supply. Other districts are encouraging their irrigators to drill wells for sup- plemental water supplies. 2