190-1 



r 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



33 



o' 



LOOKING DOWN THE NORTH PI^ATTE RIVER FROM THE NEBRASKA-WYOMING BOUNDARY. 



next valley below. It was at first be- 

 lieved that the water spreading over so 

 large an area as would be flooded would 

 result in a great loss by seepage and 

 evaporation, but the sediment carried by 

 the canal would in time probably render 

 these valleys nearly impervious. 



Farther to the south the valleys are 

 somewhat larger and have a less eleva- 

 tion than those along the line of the first 

 survey. For 9 miles west of the state 

 line the canal will run over a gently 

 rolling country and the cuts in the 

 ridges will not exceed 15 feet from the 

 bottom of the ditch. After the 9 miles 

 mentioned the canal line will encounter 

 a series of gravel ridges in its approach 

 to Rawhide Creek. Preliminary sur- 

 veys are being made at this point. 



A topographic party has been busy 

 mapping the irrigable lands lying on the 

 benches on the north side of the river. 

 Of the 40^2 square miles mapped during 

 the month of June, 9,000 acres were 

 classified as first-class lands, 10,000 acres 

 as second class, and 7,000 acres as 

 worthless for cultivation. The 10,000 

 acres of second-class land as a rule lie 

 well for irrigation, but have a sandy, 

 light soil, like all the land on the 

 benches near Sheep Creek. 



These reports show that the canal is 

 practicable, and indicate a feasible cost 

 per acre for reclamation. The difficul- 

 ties anticipated in getting through the 

 sand-hills near the state line have not 

 materialized, and but few unforeseen dif- 

 ficulties have been met. 



