The stream thereby became little cascades at irregular distances, and then instead of running waters, there were rather quiet lagoons above each of these artificial rapid places. The waters were held at higher levels, and soaked back into the banks as intended.

The next step was to build small ditches to lead the water away from the natural channels, across the flat grounds near by, where it was turned loose to soak into the ground, or find its way back to the stream.

First Canal in the North Platte Valley When William R. Akers, John Coy and Virgil Grout arrived in the valley, their first thought after getting settled, was to build an irrigation canal. As stated in a preceding chapter, this was done with the use of an ordinary spirit level, for the engineering instrument. They had plenty of time, and teams, and they had brought along a few of the common tools necessary, before the days of drag lines, steam shovels and tnt in such uses here. The Lucerne canal was completed in due time, and still does service in an excellent manner in the territory about L ingle ; and the original costs were so small as to be negligible.

ney, who represented the district, introduced and secured the passage of a short bill for irrigation regulation in the manner of appropriating water.

A number of filings had been previously made, and several canals built. The first from the North Platte river was the Seeberger canal at North Platte. The second was the Farmers canal, and the third the Minatare canal, both in Scotts Bluff county.