Lake McConaughy
Encyclopedia
Lake McConaughy is a reservoir
on the North Platte River
. It is located 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Ogallala
, Nebraska
, United States
, near U.S. Highway 26 and Nebraska Highway 61
. The reservoir was named for Charles W. McConaughy, a grain merchant and mayor of Holdrege, Nebraska
, one of the leading promoters of the project. Although he did not live to see the completion of the project, his leadership and perseverance eventually culminated in a public power and irrigation project that helped Nebraska become one of the nation's leading agricultural states.
, formed by Kingsley Dam, is a man-made body of water that is 22 miles (35.4 km) long, 4 miles (6.4 km) wide at its largest point, and 142 feet (43.3 m) deep near the dam (at full capacity) – it was constructed between 1936 and 1941 and is fed by the North Platte River
. When full, the reservoir has a capacity of 1740000 acre.ft, covers 35700 acres (144.5 km²) and has 76 miles (122.3 km) of shoreline, making it the largest reservoir in Nebraska.
Lake McConaughy was constructed to store water for irrigation for The Tri-County, later renamed Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (CNPPID) hydro-irrigation project. A hydro-electric plant was later added and went online in 1984. CNPPID, a political subdivision of the State of Nebraska, owns and operates the dam and reservoir and an associated hydroplant below the dam.
The source of water for Lake McConaughy is primarily the North Platte River. Water flows into the lake from a 32500 square miles (84,174.6 km²) drainage area west of the dam. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs on the North Platte River in Wyoming
capture precipitation and snowmelt from the mountains and utilize the water for irrigation and hydroelectric production within the North Platte Projects. Return flows from these projects to the North Platte River make up a significant portion of the inflows to Lake McConaughy.
On the east side of Kingsley Dam is Lake Ogallala, commonly called the 'Little Lake'. Water flows out of Lake McConaughy through the Morning Glory tower, and out the other side of the dam through the hydroelectric plant into Lake Ogallala where the water continues flowing down the North Platte River. This smaller lake has rocky shores, but is well known for great camping and fishing.
Lake McConaughy is also a popular location for fishing, boating, water sports, camping and hunting.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) operates a State Recreation Area at the lake. NGPC's offices are at the Lake McConaughy Visitors Center just south of the dam. The Visitor Center contains a water interpretive center, gift shop, theater, and information office.
The current superintendent of Lake McConaughy State Park is Tyrel Grafford.
Kingsley Dam is located at the east end of Lake McConaughy and was the second largest hydraulically-filled earthen dam in the world (behind Fort Peck Dam
on the Missouri River
in Montana
) at the time of its completion. The dam was named for George P. Kingsley, a Minden, Nebraska
banker, who worked with C. W. McConaughy to promote the project. The dam was built by pumping sand and gravel from the river bed to form its sides, while pumping a mixture of loess soil and water into the center of the structure to form its watertight core. Seepage of water under the dam is prevented by a wall of interlocked sheet piling driven 30 to 160 ft (48.8 m). deep and tied into the impervious Brule clay formation that lies beneath the dam. The dam's face is protected by more than a million tons of rock in several layers and more than 180,000 "jackstones," (rebar-reinforced concrete tetrahedrons), each weighing 800 lb (362.9 kg). The dam is 162 feet (49.4 m) tall, 3.1 miles (5 km) long, and 1,100 ft wide at its base.
The Kingsley Hydroplant, which went on-line in 1984, is situated below the south end of the dam.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
on the North Platte River
North Platte River
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long counting its many curves, It travels about distance. Its course lies in the U.S...
. It is located 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Ogallala
Ogallala, Nebraska
Ogallala is a city in Keith County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,737 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Keith County. In the days of the Nebraska Territory, the city was a stop on the Pony Express and later along the transcontinental railroad...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, near U.S. Highway 26 and Nebraska Highway 61
Nebraska Highway 61
Nebraska Highway 61 is a highway in western Nebraska. It is a north–south highway with a length of . The southern terminus of Nebraska Highway 61 is at the Kansas border south of Benkelman, where the highway continues south as K-161...
. The reservoir was named for Charles W. McConaughy, a grain merchant and mayor of Holdrege, Nebraska
Holdrege, Nebraska
Holdrege is a city in Phelps County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,636 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Phelps County.-Transportation:...
, one of the leading promoters of the project. Although he did not live to see the completion of the project, his leadership and perseverance eventually culminated in a public power and irrigation project that helped Nebraska become one of the nation's leading agricultural states.
History and overview
The lakeLake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
, formed by Kingsley Dam, is a man-made body of water that is 22 miles (35.4 km) long, 4 miles (6.4 km) wide at its largest point, and 142 feet (43.3 m) deep near the dam (at full capacity) – it was constructed between 1936 and 1941 and is fed by the North Platte River
North Platte River
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long counting its many curves, It travels about distance. Its course lies in the U.S...
. When full, the reservoir has a capacity of 1740000 acre.ft, covers 35700 acres (144.5 km²) and has 76 miles (122.3 km) of shoreline, making it the largest reservoir in Nebraska.
Lake McConaughy was constructed to store water for irrigation for The Tri-County, later renamed Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (CNPPID) hydro-irrigation project. A hydro-electric plant was later added and went online in 1984. CNPPID, a political subdivision of the State of Nebraska, owns and operates the dam and reservoir and an associated hydroplant below the dam.
The source of water for Lake McConaughy is primarily the North Platte River. Water flows into the lake from a 32500 square miles (84,174.6 km²) drainage area west of the dam. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs on the North Platte River in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
capture precipitation and snowmelt from the mountains and utilize the water for irrigation and hydroelectric production within the North Platte Projects. Return flows from these projects to the North Platte River make up a significant portion of the inflows to Lake McConaughy.
On the east side of Kingsley Dam is Lake Ogallala, commonly called the 'Little Lake'. Water flows out of Lake McConaughy through the Morning Glory tower, and out the other side of the dam through the hydroelectric plant into Lake Ogallala where the water continues flowing down the North Platte River. This smaller lake has rocky shores, but is well known for great camping and fishing.
Lake McConaughy is also a popular location for fishing, boating, water sports, camping and hunting.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) operates a State Recreation Area at the lake. NGPC's offices are at the Lake McConaughy Visitors Center just south of the dam. The Visitor Center contains a water interpretive center, gift shop, theater, and information office.
The current superintendent of Lake McConaughy State Park is Tyrel Grafford.
Kingsley Dam
Fort Peck Dam
The Fort Peck Dam is the highest of six major dams along the Missouri River, located in northeast Montana in the United States, near Glasgow, and adjacent to the community of Fort Peck...
on the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
) at the time of its completion. The dam was named for George P. Kingsley, a Minden, Nebraska
Minden, Nebraska
Minden is a city in Kearney County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,964 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kearney County...
banker, who worked with C. W. McConaughy to promote the project. The dam was built by pumping sand and gravel from the river bed to form its sides, while pumping a mixture of loess soil and water into the center of the structure to form its watertight core. Seepage of water under the dam is prevented by a wall of interlocked sheet piling driven 30 to 160 ft (48.8 m). deep and tied into the impervious Brule clay formation that lies beneath the dam. The dam's face is protected by more than a million tons of rock in several layers and more than 180,000 "jackstones," (rebar-reinforced concrete tetrahedrons), each weighing 800 lb (362.9 kg). The dam is 162 feet (49.4 m) tall, 3.1 miles (5 km) long, and 1,100 ft wide at its base.
The Kingsley Hydroplant, which went on-line in 1984, is situated below the south end of the dam.