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<br />000993
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<br />E:ETT ill ~,~i\rr
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<br />History
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<br />In pioneer days the l~orth r~at"~e Valley served ns the uay of
<br />ec.siest pc.ssage from the ec.stern states, through the high 1'lc.i"8 to
<br />the Rocky Mountains, D.nd the Hest. The Oregon TrD.il \DS bro1::en up
<br />the vo.lley in 1843-45. Famous landmc.rks <llong t:oe Oregon Tro.il in
<br />this p.reD. c.re Cou~thouse and Jail Rocks, C:lir.Uley Rock, c.nd Scotts
<br />Bluff, Later came t'le Mormon Troi 1, the Oyerlc.nd Stc.ge Route and the
<br />POliY Express, t'.11 tro.veling this nC.tural Gutevmy to the "\'ifest" In
<br />1900 the C:oicflgo, Burlinston, end Quincy :l.o.ilroo.d built a line :"rom
<br />Northport, on the Derwer-Billings line, up t;"le. north r;ide of the N'lr-\;h
<br />Platte River throll!;h Bo.yurd, j'~inD.tc.rc, Sco-otsbluff, Mi.tchell, "'!1d
<br />Morrill into Wyoming. In 1907 the Union Pcccific Ro.ilroD.d began
<br />constructio!1 of '"' line up the Harth PIc.tte Vc.lley from Harth Plutte,
<br />Ncbraskn.o T:1is line renched Geri!lg on December 1, 1911J C1.I1d EniD on
<br />June 30, 1913. After a lupse of a few years tt,e line \'lo.S extended to
<br />Yoder, "'1yomin!,;, reaching t"c,t ,.'Oint on N1::rch 19, 1922.
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<br />As rccently c.s 1900 the North Plattc V"lley in l/estern Hebrc.s;",
<br />end c;.stL"rn Wyoming '"Jc.s primG.rily r:.1.nt~G 1andc. Soma irrigc.tion
<br />davelopment wc.s u;1dertfll:en by privc,te individuc.ls in the 1680's.
<br />On ~lc.rch 14, 1903, tilo Secretary' of the Interior :'.uthorized tho
<br />construction of the lJorth PlQt~c Pro:cct. by tl18 r.~ency tll''',t is nO'.'1
<br />the Bur0,,"u of Rocle.mation, Tho irriGabee lancl.s, comprising 236,144
<br />am'os, are in Scotts aluff, Sioux, :J.!ld ~,lorrill COl~ntics in Ncbrc.sk:'l,
<br />and in Goshen COlJIlty, V:yomin!';, They cover c.n c.re", roughly 100 miles
<br />long ,.nd up to 25 miles in width., These lands lio on both th~ north
<br />,'nd tho south side s of the North Plc,tte River, as shown on Exhi bit I,
<br />The proj..'ct is divided into three divisions: the L1terstc'.te rmd
<br />North~ort Divisions ou tIle north side of the riv.:"Jr c'.nd the Fort
<br />Lnrnm~.c Division on tho south side. The three ditisions o..re composed
<br />of four irrigc.tion districts. The I!1tcrstate Division comprises tho
<br />Pathfinder Irri!';o.tion District; the Horthport Di.vision contains the
<br />Northport Irriso.tion Dis-f;riet; Q,nd the Fert L:1ramie Di'Jision is
<br />comprised of tho Goshen Irrigation District, in '.'iyominf" end the
<br />Goring" Ft, Larcmie Irrig..tion District, in l.Jebr[lsk[lo Tho IJOterstc,te
<br />C::L..'1Ql serves the north sido Innds Q~cl tho Ft" L.:lrr'.mio C:l.nal serves
<br />t\10se on the south side of the river. The I':orthport District gats its
<br />y!:.ttcr throue;h -i.~ho Tri-S~.:;:.:'.te Canal, [l. priv8.to 0cln::ll, through n c~--'r-
<br />ri8.~a c.~rCGmcEi:i~ Both tho Intorst::1:GO 8.l1d the Fort Lc.rc.mio cCln:lls
<br />r..oa.d :.::.t the 1.'."'hi..:.lon Diversion Dc.m in "..'!yoningo Developmont of -chv north
<br />side lc.nds "as m"de first, '"i th wect.er for irrigation first ,.vail:'.ble
<br />in 1908, Construction of tho Ft, Lo.r"mie Division 1';C.S begun in 1915,
<br />with "uter becoming [lvc.il~ble in 19'L7.
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<br />In tho development of the North Plo,tte Projoct, produution of
<br />hydroelectric pO'.var 1'lo.s found to be foccsible in hlO ph~1tS, one c.t
<br />Guornsey DccM f.nd tho othor c.t Linglo, Tho Ling10 Pom,rpl:ll1t vms
<br />bllilt ia 1918-19, noe,r Mile 25 on tho Fort Lnro.mie Scen"l, to furnish
<br />~''''')wor durinG t~:.8 construction of the Fta L['.r~l.mie Div::'J';i(ln. T!1.o plant
<br />~,~ll~:' Il~~'.!:c~.~.\' ':-'c,~..:mn n. p:-:".,~f':nn :!.t f._.~...t;l':'" Dr th~ :'~'o,jcct. It opcr:..tesr
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