72 



shown (p. 24) that there is flowing in the North Platte at times more 

 water than is required to supply all outstanding rights, but as a mat- 

 ter of fact it is seldom that there is not more than enough water to sup- 

 ply all existing demands. Plans are being made for the construction 

 of new works to utilize this surplus by private parties and the Federal 

 Government, But there is no way of telling from the present flow 

 of the stream and present diversions what supply of water these new 

 canals will receive. The enlargement of use under existing and pend- 

 ing rights may absorb all the surplus except in extreme floods. 



A series of measurements of the North Platte and main Platte 

 rivers, between the Colorado- Wyoming State line and the city of 

 Kearney, Nebr., was made in the fall of 1903 by the agents of this 

 Office to determine, so far as can be determined by a single series of 

 measurements, the etfect of diversions in the upper sections of the 

 stream upon its flow farther down. These measurements are given 

 in the following table : 



Return seepage, North Platte River. 



Section. 



Colorado- Wyoming line to Douglas Creek... 



Douglas Creek to Sage Creek 



Sage Creek to Fort Steele 



Fort Steele to Dickinson's ranch 



Dickinson's ranch to Medicine Bow River... 

 Medicine Bow River to Sweetwater River... 



Sweetwater River to Alcova 



Alcova to Delaware Springs. _. 



Delaware Springs to Muddy Creek 



Muddy Creek to Douglas 



Douglas to Horseshoe Creek 



Horseshoe Creek to Guernsey Canyon 



Guernsey Canyon to Whalen 



Whalen to Port Laramie __ _. 



Fort Laramie to Rawhide Creek . _ 



Rawhide Creek to Torrington _ . 



Torrington to Wyoming-Nebraska State line 



State line to Mitchell 



Mitchell to Gering _ 



Gering to Bayard 



Bayai-d to Bridgeport 



Bridgeport to Oshkosh 



Oshkosh to Hay land Canal 



Hay land Canal to Paxton Bridge 



Paxtuii Bridge to North Platte 



North Platte to Gothenburg _ 



Gothenburg to Lexington _ 



Lexington to Kearney 



Length. 



Miles. 



8.00 



52.00 



22.00 



21.00 



n.oo 



33. 00 



12.00 



21.00 



36.00 



40.00 



43.00 



16.00 



14.00 



6.00 



9.(X) 



8.00 



12.00 



14.00 

 10.50 

 18.50 

 13.30 

 45.50 

 30.00 

 24.00 

 34.00 

 36.50 

 24.50 

 36.00 



Gain (-t-) or 

 loss (— ) 



Cubic feet 

 persecond. 



- 43.32 

 -165.72 



- 41.12 

 + 6.74 



- 28.75 

 + 9.58 

 + 3.18 



- 17.25 

 + 70.85 



- 43.81 



- 7.89 

 + 55.01 

 + 7.37 



- 10. 48 

 + 77.28 



- 76.90 

 +120. 13 



+ 68.04 

 +i;*. 51 



- 24. 18 

 +113.80 

 ~ 69.47 



- 51.20 

 + 2a5.38 



- 22.35 

 + 109.76 

 —164. 79 

 -209.62 



Total gain 



( + ) or loss 

 ( — ) from 

 upper sta- 

 tion. 



Cubic feet 

 persecond. 



- 43.32 

 -209.04 

 -250. 16 

 -243.42 

 -272. 17 

 -262.59 

 -269. 41 

 -276.66 

 -205.81 

 —249. 62 

 -257.51 

 -202.50 

 -195. 13 

 -205.61 

 -128.33 

 -205.23 



- 85. 10 



+ 68.04 

 +198.55 

 +174.37 

 +288. 17 

 +218.70 

 +167.50 

 +402.88 

 +380. 53 

 +490.29 

 +325.50 

 +115.88 



The course of the river throughout Wyoming is hard to follow, 

 and the measurements were made at considerable intervals of time, 

 leaving room for variations in the flow of the stream between the 

 times of measurement. While the stream is more easily followed in 

 Nebraska, Professor Stout, who made the measurements in thai*: 

 State, notes waves of increase and decrease during the progress of 



