 With its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and its tailwaters in Nebraska, the North Platte is the most important river in southeastern Wyoming. It provides irrigation for farmers, power for everyday life, recreational opportunities, and critical wildlife habitat. Since 1909, water has been diverted from the river by Wayland Diversion Dam outside of Fort Laramie for irrigation purposes in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. Approximately 335,000 acres of sagebrush and rangeland have been converted into productive farmland. There are also five storage dams and three other diversion dams located on this river that make irrigation possible. The North Platte River is a magnet for numerous species of wildlife. Small mammals in the riparian area include muskrat, coyote, raccoon, and beaver. Canada geese, mallards, great blue herons, kingfishers, and in some places even pelicans can be seen along the river and its tributaries. Numerous other species of mammals, birds, and raptors also call this river home. The headwaters are a blue-ribbon fishery. Electric power is generated at Guernsey Power Plant and supplied to the area by four substations and about 160 miles of transmission lines. This plant is operated on a seasonal basis during the release of irrigation flows to satisfy downstream demands. In the early days, trade migration routes to the west would follow the North Platte River. The well-known Oregon and Mormon trails and later the railroad would follow much of the river, developing many of the towns and highways we see today. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Mae Smith, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.