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<br />0009Sli <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />nepvrt of the Regional Director <br /> <br />wa tel' through the Ft. Laramie Canal to the Gering & Ft. Laramie <br />Icrigation District at the state Une Wile 85.4), where it is <br />measured by a Parshall flume; and for delivering water to the Lingle <br />Powerplant. Water is also diverted from the Ft. Laramie Canal within <br />the Goshen District to delivery points on several laterals crossing <br />the state line, one of which is the Horse Creek Lateral. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />18. The need for a regulatorJ offstrea~ reservoir some place <br />along the Ft. Laramie Canal was reco6nized in the original plan of <br />developnent. The assumed velocity in the canal is 2.5 feet per <br />second, or 1.7 miles per hour. That rate of flow imposes a delivery <br />control problem on the Ft. Laramie Canal because of its 1)O-m11e <br />length. Five days are normally required for water to flow from the <br />Whalen Diversion D~ to the lower end of the project. Water that has <br />been diverted to meet a specific demarxi now must be wasted back to <br />the river should the need cease before the water reaches the point of <br />delivery. Likewise when a derand cannot be anticipated in advance, <br />as the occurrence of a sudden hot spell. water cannot now be delivered <br />to the critical area in time to be of ~ximum benefit. This time lag <br />in the control of water has been detrimental to the most economical <br />~se of water and to th~ Toast efficient delivery of water. Considera- <br />tion has been given to enlarging the Ft. Laramie Canal but this was <br />deemed uneconomical because it would necessitate expensive enlarge- <br />cent of the tunnels at 1. ile L.7 and rile 13 (approximate). Enlarge- <br />cent of the canal would only partially solve the problem because <br />the waste of water to the river probably would be increased and the <br />problen of well regulated delivery would still exist. <br /> <br />19. A reservoir site on Horse Creek, in Wyoming, was inclu:1ed <br />in the original project plan by the Bureau of ~eclamation as shown <br />on Exhibit 1, tl3enera.l Uap". Geologic investigations at several <br />Horse Creek damsites disclosed the probability of excessive over- <br />burden of gravel. hence the sites were deemed to be not feasible. <br /> <br />20. As a~ alternative, investigations were made of a reservoir <br />site on Dry Creek Drain, in Nebraska. flater studies indicate that <br />the combinod inflow to the potential reservoir from natural runoff <br />of the 21.6 square mile drainage area of Dry Creek an:!. from unavoid- <br />able wastes of the Ft. Laramie Canal and Horse Cree~ Lateral would have <br />averaged a,Loo acre-feet annually during the pericxi 1933-19L6. The <br />reservoir \volld not be used for storage purposes otrer than to <br />impound water for release to the Horse Creek Lateral systen: upon <br />demand. The reservoir co'ud also be fUled in the spring with surplus <br />flood "aters from the ~;orth Platte River which the Guernsey Reservoir <br />cannot store, by diversion to the Ft. Laramie Canal and release to <br />the proposed reservoir through the wasteway at !'ile 88.3. The Horse <br />Cree~ Lateral, below the Dr1' Creek diversion, serves about 8,100 acres <br />of irrigable land. .Tith the potential reservoir i.n operation deliv- <br />eries could be made to the Horse Creek Lateral system witbout <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />s <br /> <br />(Rev.) <br /> <br />