THE NORTH PLATTE VALLEY 



37 3 



second-feet in August to as much as twenty thousand in May, and the 

 uncouth pile bridges that, stretched meaninglessly for hundreds of feet 

 over a stream confined within the limits of a single bent, find their 

 shore abutments awash with the mighty swirl. 



Were there no mountains to gather and release the frozen supply, 

 the North Platte might always remain a comparatively small stream 

 of equalized flow, as the precipitation is slight on these brown, arid 

 plains, and the soil absorbs moisture with avidity. Because of this 

 lack of moisture, the soil, though rich in plant constituents, is not 

 susceptible to cultivation, excepting where its position relative to the 

 river margin is such that irrigation may be practised. Many thousands 

 of acres of land, favorably situated, lie along the banks of the North 



Interior ok Pathfinder Diversion Tunnel. 



Platte, especially in the extreme easterly part of Wyoming and in 

 Nebraska, and the settlers have utilized the river waters individually 

 and through cooperative associations for the past two decades. 



The strength of a heavy chain, when measured by the resistance of 

 its weakest link, may be very small. The total annual flow of the 

 North Platte is large, but the maximum discharge occurs in the spring 

 and early summer at, or slightly before, the beginning of the irrigating 

 season. Throughout the period of irrigation the flow diminishes until, 

 in the sweltering days of August, the torrent of May is reduced to the 

 dimensions of a respectable creek. The amount of land that may be 

 successfully irrigated by waters diverted directly from the river must 



