I received an email from someone that currently lives in this area, which prompted me to look further into its history. Of particular significance, especially in regards to current land grabs effecting Native Americans of today, and everyone else that needs to drink the water here, is the Horse Creek Treaty of 1851 - officially known as the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. Here is an example of American Indians going to great lengths to try an insure peaceful coexistence with the invading "white man" - only to be ignored from the outset by the very people who initiated the treaty: the United States Congress. It seems that the terms of the treaty did not agree with the monied interests of the day. http://twainsgeography.com/content/horse-creek-treaty-1851