Wheatland, Wyoming Irrigation Canals

July 16 & 17, 2009

Wheatland, Wyoming

Wheatland, Wyoming is a small farming and ranching community made possible by irrigation.

We are staying in the FREE city campground in Wheatland. It has electricity 30 & 50 amp. Water & dump station at a central location. The campground is located at the south end of 8th street. Once in town you will be on 9th street when you get to the red light turn east and go to 8th street then turn south and proceed to the city campground about 6 blocks. You will spot the park, the campground is on the south side in a row of large cottonwood trees.

Wheatland is a small agricultural city located about 70-miles north of Cheyenne. It is the center of a farm and ranching community made possible in this arid area by irrigation provided by the largest privately owned irrigation system in the country.

Before a modern water system was developed in Wheatland, water was brought to each home by ditches that ran down each street to irrigate lawns and gardens and to furnish water for homes.

The city still has many remains of the in-town irrigation system that fed and maintained the myriad stately old trees seen throughout town.

Part of the old irrigation system in Wheatland, Wyoming still hard at work

This picture shows some of that old irrigation system still at work. A gravity fed pipe is dumping water in a small ditch that then circles the park you see in this picture. You can follow the path of the water by following the line of trees.

An old irrigation canal in downtown Wheatland, Wyoming

These huge cottonwood trees line the banks of that old irrigation system in a nice section of town. You can not tell but the water in that irrigation ditch is flowing pretty fast.

Joyce next to an ancient cottonwood tree that once grew on the banks of that old irrigation canal in Wheatland, Wyoming

Joyce is standing beside an old cottonwood stump. Now that was a big cottonwood if I do say so.

It was located a few feet from one of those irrigation canals.

Old irrigation canal in Wheatland, Wyoming carrying water to near by agriculture

Plenty of water remains in that irrigation system that courses its way through the city of Wheatland watering large trees and lawns throughout town. This picture shows the irrigation ditch as it leaves town headed to agricultural areas down stream. A lot of water is flowing in this ditch. You can not tell how fast the water is flowing from this picture but I can tell you it is moving at a fast pace.

We have enjoyed our stay in Wheatland and will return. It is a nice place to visit.