North Platte River

An aerial view of the sink holes created by the July 17 tunnel collapse on the Gering-Fort Laramie/Goshen Irrigation District canal.
Figure 1. An aerial view of the sink holes created by the July 17 tunnel collapse on the Gering-Fort Laramie/Goshen Irrigation District canal. The larger sink hole is approximately 100 feet across and 50 feet deep. (Photo by Justin Burkart, Goshen Emergency Management Association)

Update on Efforts to Restore Water to North Platte River Valley Canal

July 26, 2019
The Gering/Ft. Laramie Irrigation District and the Goshen Irrigation District (Wyoming) held stakeholder meetings this week to discuss the status of canal damage and repairs and how to restore irrigation water to 100,000+ acres. Initial canal repairs have started, with tunnel repairs expected to start soon.

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Irrigation canal washout from tunnel collapse
Figure 1. Area where the North Platte River Canal breached July 17, flooding nearby fields. Water flow to the canal was stopped and won't be continued until repairs can be made, possibly cutting short the crop season. (Photo courtesy of Chabella Guzman of KNEB Radio)

Wednesday A.M. Meeting to Focus on Prospects for Collapsed Irrigation Tunnel

July 23, 2019
The Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District will host a public meeting Wednesday, July 24, in Scottsbluff to share information about the disruption of water deliveries caused by a tunnel collapse along the irrigation district’s main canal on July 17. It will be at 10 a.m. at the university's Panhandle Center.

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Area of the North Platte River canal where the break occurred July 17.
Figure 1. Area where the North Platte River Canal breached July 17, flooding nearby fields. Water flow to the canal was stopped and won't be continued until repairs can be made, possibly cutting short the crop season. (Photo courtesy of Chabella Guzman of KNEB Radio)

Growers in North Platte Valley Face Critical Water Loss with Canal Damage

July 18, 2019
Surface-water irrigators in the North Platte River Valley south of the river in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming have lost their water supply due to a washout in the main supply canal early Wednesday morning (July 17). The Bureau of Reclamation is assessing the damage.

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Bureau of Reclamation Wyoming Area Office Snow Water Content graph for the Seminoe Reservoir

Rocky Mountain Snowmelt Runoff Above Average

March 27, 2019
The preliminary outlook is for a high level of snowmelt runoff for the North Platte River this spring.

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Snowpack that feed North Platte River water system
Figure 1. Snowpack on the Snowy Mountain Range that feeds the North Plate River system (archive photo). The US Bureau of Reclamation monitors snowpack to estimate the amount of water in the North Platte Basin likely to be available this growing season. (Photo by Gary Stone)

North Platte River Water System Update

April 13, 2018
North Platte River water operations and deliveries are expected to be normal for 2018, with no allocations expected, and an expected demand of 1.1 million acre-feet.

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Snowy Moutain Range in Wyoming
Figure 1. Old Main peak in the Snowy Mountain range in south-central Wyoming. (Photos by Gary Stone)

North Platte River Basin Water Update

June 1, 2017

After good precipitation over the winter and spring, most of the reservoirs in the North Platte River basin in Wyoming are at or near capacity with more snowmelt/runoff still expected.

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Water flowing at Pathfinder Dam
Figure 1. Pathfinder Dam and Fremont Canyon on the North Platte River in Wyoming

North Platte River Water Update — US Bureau of Reclamation

April 21, 2017

North Platte River water operations and deliveries are expected to be normal for the 2017 growing season with an expected demand of 1.1 million acre-feet, according to a US Bureau of Reclamation forecast presented at the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff April 19.

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