21 



stream. In Wyoming the Laramie is extensively used for irrigation. 

 Not far from the Colorado-Wyoming line it enters the Laramie 

 Plains, which comprise an extended area of high level land, much of 

 which is under ditches taking water from the Laramie. Below the 

 Laramie Plains irrigation is confined to narrow strips lx)r(lering on 

 the stream. The Wheatland Flats, which lie between Sj'bile and 

 Chugwater creeks, where some ()5,000 acres is irrigated, are served by 

 water taken out of the Laramie through a tunnel into Sybile Creek. 



The areas irrigated from the tributaries of the North Platte in 

 Wyoming are given with close approximation in the order establish- 

 ing rights to water and in the subsequent certificates of appropriation 

 issued by the board of control. These amount in the aggregate to 

 360,000 acres. It has been estimated that about 53,000 acres are irri- 

 gated from the North Platte itself. 



THE NORTH PLATTE IN NEBRASKA. 



The stream throughout its course in Nebraska is bordered by a val- 

 ley of considerable width, back of which are the high plains, where the 

 areas which can be reclaimed are limited only by the water supply. 

 One large canal heads immediately above the Wyoming-Nebraska 

 State line and carries water to land in Nebraska. Two other large 

 canals head immediately east of the State line in Nebraska. Lands 

 immediately adjoining the river throughout its length to the junction 

 with the South Platte are under ditch, except for small areas where 

 the hills come down to the river bank. The largest irrigated areas 

 lie in the section from the State line to Bridgeport, a distance of 

 about 75 miles, and in the point of land between the two rivers for a 

 distance of about 20 miles west of the junction. One canal taking 

 water from the North Platte crosses the South Platte and covers 

 land on the south side of that stream. 



Below the junction the valley on the north side of the river slopes 

 gradually up to the hills, and these hills are low, so that canals can 

 be easily built to cover land at long distances from the stream. On 

 the south side the hills are higher and come closer to the river. A 

 number of large ditches have been built to cover the lands on the 

 north side as far as the city of Kearney, which is about 90 miles be- 

 low the junction. Short canals cover some land on the south side. 



The report of the State board of irrigation of Nebraska for 1001-2 



states that the canals diverting water from the North Platte, in 



Nebraska, have an aggregate length of 780 miles and cover 338,220 



acres. The canals on the main stream below the junction have an 



ao-oreo-ate length of 296.5 miles and cover 179,440 acres. Not all 



• •••11 1 



of this land under ditch is irrigated, but it is impossible to make any 



