WSP07210

• File Number: 8027
• Description: Section D General Correspondence - Federal Agencies - BOR - Lower Missouri Region - Denver
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 4/28/1976
• Author: DOI-BOR
• Title: Annual Operating Plan - Niobrara - Lower Platte - and Kansas River Basins - 1975-1976
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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SARGENT UNIT, MIDDLE LOUP DIVISION IN NEBRASKA

GeNERAL

The Sargent Il-l-igation District has contracted with the Loup Basin Reclama-
tion District for the operation alld ffi2intenance of ttL8 Mil.burn Divcrsioll Dam
and Sargent Canal syste.rn serving 13,650 acres in this uni t. The water sup-
ply is diverted from the l-1iddle Loup River into the Sa~-gent. Cunal under
an appropriated natural flow right from the State of Nebraska. The~e diver-
sions may exceed the natural flow appropriation of 198 cubic feet per second
by an exchange of storage from Sherman Reservoir 1 provided that water is
available after all senior appropriations are satisfied and the excess is
not sreater tl~n the storage releases from Sherman Reservoir.

1975 SUMMARY

The armual precipitation over the Sargent U:lit T,olaS about 70 percent of normal.
The diversions into Sary-ent Canal of 28,034 acre-feet were sl:i.ghtly below nor-
mal year forecasts. The diversions exceeded the appropriated right for 32
dBYS during 1975. There were 13,042 acres irrigated with a gross crop value
of $3,842,744, IOhich is about $600,000 less than in 1974.

1976 OUTLOOK

The Loup Basin Reclamation District estimates that 13,000 acres in the Sargent
Unit will be irrigated in 1976. The lOater supply is expected to be adequate.

FAP-WELL UNIT, fUDDLE I,OUP DIVISION IN NEBRASKA

GENERAL
----

The Loup Basin Reclamation District operates and maintains the Arcadia Diver-
sion Dam, Sherman Feeder Canal, Shennan Dam and Reservoir, and the Fanvell
Canal system serving 48.250 acres of Farwell Irrigat-.ion District land. Diver-
sions are also made through the ArccJ.cJia Diversion Dam to 13,500 -:teres of non-
project lands in the Middle Loup Public Power and Irrigation District under
appropriated natural-flow \vater rights.

During the winter months, the pool level of Sherman Reservoir is nonnally
regulated to 5 feet below the top of the conservation capacity to avoid ice
damage to the upstream face of Sherman Dam. This low pool level also mini-
mizes seepage from the reservoir into the ground water table. Each spring,
diversions into Sherman Feeder Canal from the Middle Loup River are regulated
to fill the conservation capacity of Sherman Reservoir by mid-June. The
gradual rising water surface in the spring is ideal for fish spawning.

Whenever the flolOs in the flidd1e Loup River at Arcadia, Nebraska, exceed 6,000
cubic feet per second, and safe capacity flows arc diverted into Sherman
Feeder Canal to Sherman Reserv'oir, flood control benefits can be accrued by
such operations.

10

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