The Loup Canal is a hydroelectric and irrigation

Irrigation

Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...

 canal

Canal

Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...

 located in eastern 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...

. The canal is owned and managed by Loup Power District, a public power electric utility.
The canal is 35 miles (56.3 km) long. It begins at headworks on the Loup River

Loup River

The Loup River is a tributary of the Platte River, approximately long, in central Nebraska in the United States. The river drains a sparsely populated rural agricultural area on the eastern edge of the Great Plains southeast of the Sandhills...

 in Nance County

Nance County, Nebraska

-History:The land that comprises Nance County was originally part of the Pawnee Reservation, created in 1857 when the Pawnee Indians signed a treaty with the United States ceding its lands in exchange for the reservation. After the state of Nebraska was admitted into the Union, the state government...

, between Fullerton

Fullerton, Nebraska

Fullerton is a city in Nance County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,190 as of the 2010 Census. The community name is derived from cattleman Randolph Fuller.Fullerton is the county seat of Nance County.- History :...

 and Genoa

Genoa, Nebraska

Genoa is a city in Nance County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 981 at the 2000 census. Genoa is a community rich in culture and farming is a major source of income for much of the surrounding area. The city was founded by the Mormons in 1857...

. It passes through a hydroelectric plant near Monroe

Monroe, Nebraska

Monroe is a village in Platte County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Monroe is located at ....

 with a generating capacity of 8000 kilowatts. From there, it continues to two regulating reservoirs, Lake Babcock and Lake North, north of Columbus

Columbus, Nebraska

Columbus is a city in east central Nebraska, United States. Its population was 22,111 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Platte County.-Pre-settlement history:...

. The canal then runs from Lake North to a second hydroelectric plant near Columbus with a generating capacity of 40,000 kW. It ends at the Platte River

Platte River

The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to...

 in eastern Platte County

Platte County, Nebraska

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,662 people, 12,076 households, and 8,465 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 12,916 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...

about one mile below the confluence of the Platte and the Loup.

Construction of the canal system began in August 1934; power generation began in March 1937.

A recreation system of parks, lakes and trails extends along the canal; these facilities are owned and operated by Loup Power District.