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<br />
<br />interul Ihan tho~ Ihat lie in the
<br />conlro\'er~ial sulljl"('t of public ver-
<br />sus pri\'ah- power d!"\elupmenl.
<br />First. Ihl"re an- complell"d or undl'r
<br />conslruf'lion three h~"dro-("Il'ctric
<br />pUln-r undertaking!S Ihat are unique
<br />both as to Ijl"~ign and as to Cll~t of
<br />construction; and !o<"cond. th,'rf" are
<br />qUl'5tions of water con~...n'ation and
<br />u~ w'hi<:h ar.. important for all Con-
<br />aorned with .le\e1opmf"nt of the
<br />....ater Tt~'ources of t'l<~ arid region,
<br />of thoP \rt"~t. To datt'. Ihrf"t" diwr:;ion
<br />dams and t"'o rl'~noirs h,ne bt"Cn
<br />buill. sa milt"!S of pO"'N canah ha\e
<br />b('('n dug. and thrt't" po......r prants of
<br />mOderal1' sill" tla\"e bel'n put into
<br />operaliun. :';0"'- und..r i.'ollslruetion
<br />is the nation's r.el:Ond largt'~t earthfill
<br />dam. a fourth din'rsion dam, 67
<br />miles of powl'r !'upply canar.... threoP
<br />morl' puwt"r planls. 102 miles of
<br />main irrigation canals and S.lA) mi]e~
<br />of ~mall ]atl'"ral....
<br />
<br />PUw"I'r aid~ irrigilliou
<br />
<br />:'\..bra~ka-!" climah- rangf"" fT<lm
<br />sul.humid along the eastl"rn t'dgl:' to
<br />st"mi.arid in Ihl'" \rlC'l'l. ....ith a ",'ide
<br />Ct'nlral area ...h"T<' thrr,' i.. in~ulJi-
<br />('jent rainfllll fur crul' pr"durtion.
<br />Ury fanning has J"'f"n praetie!"d ("'I;-
<br />telL~in~]~- in thj~ lIr..a, a lar!l"(' s.'{,tion
<br />of it ha\ing h("("1I pul undl'r cultiva_
<br />tion in th.. ....ar da\~ ...Iu'l\ wh..al
<br />
<br />---------
<br />
<br />pritt~ were high. but tht're is e\i.
<br />dl;'nce e","rl",ht're that the rl'<'"ord
<br />ha~ Ilt't'n one of frl"quo>nt crop fail.
<br />ure t'~pf'Cia]]y in tht' ren'nl dry y!"ars.
<br />J rrigalion of land in Iht' wide f1al
<br />vallt')" of the P]alte HiH'r "'-as Ilt'gun
<br />in a !lfllall way as far back a~ 1866
<br />and has gradually expan<led to in.
<br />c1ude about 2uo,OOO acre1! now under
<br />irrigalion cana]s. Hut Ihe f1ow- of
<br />the Plaue Ri\-er b 50 uncertain in
<br />the central part of Iht" state thai
<br />tht'!>e hoHom ]and~ have nol allo'an
<br />Lf'en ahle 10 nblain from dir('{"( Ao'w
<br />as much ","at..r as lhey needed. and
<br />~torrd Walf"r 111111 not brtn a\'ailaLle.
<br />Lands al hight'r rl"\lJtions liner
<br />have bt'1;'n rt"aeh...cl_ and \'et the,' nl'ed
<br />little watt'r in normal \'~ars 10' make
<br />Ihf'm suitable for a ",ide \'ariet\. of
<br />('fOps. Rainfall in Phl'lp~. "('a;ne)'"
<br />and Adams l"ounties. .... h!"r!" Ih(' lands
<br />no.... Ilt"in,e" irrigated li('. a"'ragt."!\ 2-a.
<br />in. per Yl"at. ...hile- :"i6 in_ i, nl"t'"cll"d
<br />to rarry nop!l 10 malllrit~-. Helice
<br />thl' irrigllliolJ ~)-.t('1U is dt'sigllt"d to
<br />supply 12 in. per IIcrf'. or ahuut 200,_
<br />(tho an!"-f!. fot the work no.... in
<br />hand. which combir.... _tora!!e I.ith
<br />u.,' of am- a\'ailablt' direct I\nw,
<br />~c1lt"II1f"!I for pro\'idinl! irril.!lItion
<br />wall'r for (ht' f("flirt' I/lnlls lying '..oulll
<br />e,f thp Plalle BiH-r in lile r!"ntral
<br />part of lhe lItate hale !,e('J1 .1rti\eh
<br />pwnwt",l fur fllllll\ 'l',IT". hut ;j!lth..
<br />
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<br />Oivtrsion d4m$
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<br />10..... Row of the i\orth Plalte Rin'r-
<br />the principal source of Wall'C for Ihl'"
<br />~outh--{'rIltra] area-is Ol"er.appro_
<br />prialt'd. the~ !'Chemes ....f're largel)'
<br />baSt'd on storage and u~ of flood
<br />.....alt'rs ...hich come do","n Loth t~
<br />:--;orth and South PlaUe in large
<br />quantities e\'ery Spring. Storage.
<br />ho",",-er. ","as difficult 10 oblain. Be-
<br />raU!;.e Ihe ri\-t"c !.ullom. are ""ide and
<br />Ill.. undf"r1} ing material porous. the
<br />cun~lrudion of on-rin"r resen"oin
<br />rung apprarelj 100 costly. On the
<br />OtllN hand. the ofT-riwr ~torage silt'ft
<br />...rre n('ilh~r large not numerous.
<br />and Ill.. amuunl thai can Lt" dhrrted
<br />inlo th~'m during Ihe ~hort flood ![o('a-
<br />SOil IS limih'd Ly Ihe amuunl thai
<br />rlln !.e ('aTticd Ihrou~h long suppl~'
<br />canals. Some of tht.,Se studit.s of
<br />off-riler site!:! indiralf"d thai fto'l\"er
<br />could Lt" d!"\"rloped ill bringing ","at!"c
<br />do....n into Ihe \'al]t'~" from storage
<br />resen'oirs in the ]Iill!". hut in all
<br />ca"'t's cos!:; appt'arrd prohihiti,'I'".
<br />Thi. ....'a~ Ih!" situation wbl'n. in
<br />19:n. 1111" :\ational Hreo\'l'cy :\('t "'"85
<br />pa.",t'(1. and it soun became f'\"id!"nt
<br />lhal Iiherar f..d('cal aid ","ou]d be
<br />3\"ailaL]t' 10 fnskr (,ollslruction of
<br />prnjl"("ts that ('fluid IInl he fillanc('d
<br />if r"'Juir..." h, r"pil\ th,'ir full ('Osl
<br /><Jul of t'arnjn~". TIlt' ~atllt' I ('ar Ihe
<br />\...tora~ka l<-gio;lalure passf:'d' an act
<br />pro\'iding for the f'staLfishml'nt of
<br />
<br />D"~";"'9'ltoonp'o.ifd$
<br />-~"onols
<br />. Po..t'S10loons
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<br />T..o 01 :'i.-I,ra.I.,,'. J'uLJi(" pu..rr und,rt"l.inp;:, at<. in up..nli"n. th.. :'ulbnJ..nd anJ C"lun.hu. proj"("lI, and the Tri.County
<br />proj..ct i. unJl't ronHrudion_ IITi,alion of :!:!O,OO(! arcl" j. indud..d in 11... Jalll'r. Two ."".11 projt'("1I 011 bran..h" of th.. Loup
<br />Hi.....r !P3("h irril.l.. 30,000 urIPS. Tbty dn..Jop no po....r.
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