Guernsey Dam

Guernsey Dam
Guernsey Dam is located in Wyoming
Guernsey Dam
Location of Guernsey Dam in Wyoming
Guernsey Dam is located in the United States
Guernsey Dam
Guernsey Dam (the United States)
LocationPlatte County, Wyoming, USA
Coordinates42°17′25″N 104°45′49″W / 42.290167°N 104.763737°W / 42.290167; -104.763737
Construction began1925[1]
Opening date1928
Operator(s)U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsNorth Platte River
Height135 feet (41 m)[2]
Length560 feet (170 m)[2]
Reservoir
CreatesGuernsey Reservoir

Guernsey Dam is an earthfill dam on the North Platte River in Platte County in the U.S. State of Wyoming. The dam creates Guernsey Reservoir, the last of the 5 major reservoirs on the North Platte River in Wyoming. The dam contains a hydroelectric plant capable of 6.4 megawatts of electricity.[1] The total capacity of the reservoir is 71,040 acre-feet (87,630,000 m3) of water which is used mainly for irrigation. Morrison-Knudsen (Now URS Corporation) and Utah Construction Company constructed Guernsey Dam and the hydroelectric plant as part of the North Platte Project to provide irrigation to eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. Guernsey helps control the river flow and stores water released from the project's primary storage upstream at Pathfinder Reservoir. About 8 miles (13 km) downstream of the dam the Whalen Diversion Dam diverts water into the Fort Laramie and Interstate Canals that service farms in Wyoming and Nebraska.

The reservoir is surrounded by Guernsey State Park.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Platte River Basin Water Atlas". Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  2. ^ a b "Guernsey Dam". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Archived from the original on 2009-05-13. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
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