Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-05-20

.ERING, Neb., May 17.-(speciaJ
Correspondence of The Bee -
The growth and prestige of thu.
Il North Platte valley already ac.
g. quired has been the result Of
approximately 10000 acres Of land sub
tect to irrigation. When IT is considered
that this area is to be much more than
trebled by the governments operations
In connection with the Pathfinder reser-
voir proposition, the immense Importance
of the opening of the Interstate canal
at Whalen Saturday, May s, begins 20
be realized. And IL is little wonder that
the inhabitants of the valley journeyed
some twenty miles, some sixty and some
100 miles to be present at the time water
was turned in.
The Pathfinder project as a whole is
worth some explanation to make It clearer
to the readers of The Bee. South and
west Of Casper in the mountains along
the upper North Platte is a natural reser-
voir site where a huge dam of solid
masonry is being built, across the narrow
valley of the stream, where the length
- the dam is not only least expensive
BIT where It will form a mammoth lake
@any miles In extent, and capable of re-
Gaining the water which would otherwise
Cow unused to the Mississippi until thu
seasons when II is needed for irrigation
purposes. The retaining dam will be over
200 feet in height, and the lake formed
in the reservoir site will be about thirty
miles in one direction. The water which
IS conserved therein will be released as
necessary, to flow down the natural cham
ma of the river to the various points of
diversion. The Pathfinder reclamation
system comprehends the construction of
three great distributing systems all of
thenR O take water from ha river al,o,,t
$50 miles below the reservoir. at points
In EASTERN Wyoming.
Interstate First to Come,
The Interstate canal will be supplied
from diversion dam. located a few miles
above historic old Fort Laramie. The
first section of the Interstate canal which
was opened last Saturday, is over fifty
miles in length, and will furnish water
to $4,000 acres this year, but as the work
is completed the aggregate will reach the
grand total OF 10000 acres, all being
certain of accomplishments within a year
or So AS the Interstate canal is built
60 greater length 1t reaches out to a
wider area, farther back from the river
so that 1t will be seen that the heavy
work encountered in the first nifty miles
now done has much greater service to
perform than is indicated by the $4,000
StSASS ASN WAFER - now actually
available.
The second OF the canals will divert it's
supply few miles above the Interstate.
and is known the Goshen Hole canal.
1t Will water about the same acreage lbO-
600 acres, on the south side of the river.
The third is to be known as the Fort
Laramie canal, and will head at the same
diversion dam from which the Interstate
will be supplied. The lands to be COW
cred by this one are also on the south
side Of the river, and largely including
the higher territory lying back of the
existing Mitchell ana Gering canals
Thus It will be seen that Uncle Sans
operations in the North Platte valley will
add within the next few years fully $50, OOC
acres OF land to the arabic territory, and
OF soil which is equal in every respect, II
not superior, to the famous irrigated area
OF Colorado. The new area, together with
that now supplied with water will make
up an empire in Itself, more than 5000
acres and more than the equivalent in area
OF such Nebraska counties as Hall, Merrick
Seward or York. More than double the
area OF Douglas county. More than one.
hfth as much as the aggregate irrigated
area OF the entire state of Colorado. which
Is famous throughout the world for It,
fertility, and which the North Platte vale,
VIII equal In every respect