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<br />, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Flood and drouth subdued-- <br />By the turn of the present century, irrigation in <br />the North Platte Valley had progressed as far as possible <br />without de-"elopment of water storage-and regulation facili- <br />ties. "later users had more water than they could handle <br />during the spring, but by early summer only a trickle re- <br />mained in the riverbed. Irrigation was consequently limited <br />to such early-maturing crops as grain and hay. The fury of <br />flood and the searing of drouth alternated in destroying the <br />pioneers' crops and farm lands. <br />It was recognized that a large reservoir upstream <br />from the irrigators' lands wouid smooth out the variable <br />flows of the river, make existing irrigation enterprises safe <br />and more efficient, and permit the extension of irrigation <br />benefits to large blocks of new land. <br />Surveys of upstream reservoir sites were made by <br />the U. S. Geological Survey prior to 1900 and by the U. S. <br />Reclamation Service after its establishment in 1902. These <br />surveys supported the farmers' belief that feasible storage <br />facilities could be built. The North Platte Project was among <br />the first five projects authorized under the Reclamation Act.- <br />all on March 14, 1903. Getting underway in 1905, construct- <br />ion on Pathfinder Dam-the initial feature of the North <br />Platte Project-progressed rapidly. First water was delivered <br />to project lands in 1908 and construction of the dam was com- <br />pleted in 1909. <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />5 <br />