38 Nebraskaland • July 2026
K
i n g s l ey D a m w a s t h e w o r l d 's s e c o n d - l a r g e s t
hydraulic-fill dam when it was completed, and it
created Nebraska's largest lake. Its construction
provided jobs for hundreds of men during the Great
Depression. It brought irrigation, electricity and recreation,
and displaced an entire town. But the chain of ideas that
led to this massive project can be traced back to a few snow
drifts in a Phelps County cornfield.
C. W. McConaughy was a grain merchant who also served
as mayor of Holdrege. During a dry year he drove past a field
covered with drought-stunted wheat. But in some spots the
wheat grew tall and healthy. Curious, McConaughy asked
the farmer, who explained that the wheat thrived where
high snowdrifts had piled up the previous winter. Snowmelt
had soaked into the ground and kept the wheat alive during
the long, dry summer.
This gave McConaughy an idea. In 1913, he proposed
building canals to divert Platte River water during the
spring and fall when the river was high. The water would
soak fields in south-central Nebraska, like the snowdrifts
but on a larger scale. It was called "supplemental irrigation."
McConaughy was soon joined by Minden banker George
Kingsley. The two men promoted the idea for years. It
was not easy to build support, negotiate water rights, and
secure federal money to build the Plum Creek reservoirs
they wanted. As other people got involved, the plan grew
and changed.
Co n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e f i rs t c a n a l s o f t h e Tr i - Co u n t y
Project finally began in March 1936. McConaughy fired
a ceremonial "starting shot" for a huge dragline to begin
moving dirt. By then, he was the last surviving member
o f t h e p ro j e c t 's o r i g i n a l b o o s te rs. L a te r t h a t ye a r, h e
resigned in protest from the Tri-County board of directors
when they dec ided to prioritize a huge reservoir north
of Ogallala rather than the Plum Creek reservoirs closer
to Holdrege.
Early construction of the dam, Aug. 24, 1937. Construction
involved moving more than 26 million cubic yards of earth.
NSHS RG2114-4-21
Workers prepare for the dam to move massive amounts of water.
NSHS 2114-4-117
An unusual crane used during dam construction. NSHS RG2114-4-72
