WSP08290

• File Number: 8449.916
• Description: South Platte Projects
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 8/1/1997
• Author: McLaughlin Water Eng
• Title: Platte River Basin Study
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Section J - Introduction and Purpose

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Platte, Nebraska (about 312 miles upstream from the mouth of the Platte
River near Omaha). The total basin area is about 90,000 square miles.

A large portion of the North Platte River basin in Nebraska is located in the
Sandhills region, which is composed of rolling hills with sagebrush, native
prairie grasses, and mostly sandy surficial soils. There is little surface water
present in this area and there are no major tributaries to the North Platte
River. Lake McConaughy, a 1.7 million acre-foot reservoir, is located 57 miles
upstream from the confluence of the North Platte with the South Platte.

In central Nebraska, the Platte River flows through an area of valleys and
plains with a significant widening and increased meandering. The Big Bend
area with its wildlife habitat for the endangered species is located in this
reach.

In eastern Nebraska, the Platte River flows through a region of rolling hills
composed ofloess deposits on undulating glacial material. The Platte River
alluvium is an important groundwater resource in both central and eastern
Nebraska.

Average annual precipitation across the basin increases from west to east,
ranging from about 14 . 18 inches along Colorado's front range to
approximately 32 inches at the confluence with the Missouri River. About
70 percent of annual precipitation generally occurs between April and
September.

The economy in most of the Platte River basin is closely tied with agricultural
production. In general, cattle and other livestock production are the largest
agricultural sector. Although much corn and other feedgrains are produced
within the basin, most of these are utilized for livestock production. The
north, south, and main stem of the Platte River are used heavily for
irrigation. The area around the Platte River is irrigated using canals and
other diversions from the river.

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Major reservoirs have been developed on both the North and South Platte
Rivers (see Figure 2). On the South Platte River there are 106 storage
facilities holding approximately 2.8 million acre-feet of water. Upstream of
Lake McConaughy on the North Platte River, there are approximately
84 storage facilities with the capacity of 4.3 million acre-feet, including the
large mainstem reservoirs operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. Lake

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