Republican River
Encyclopedia
The Republican River is a river
in the central Great Plains
of North America
, flowing 453 miles (729 km) through the U.S. state
s of Nebraska
and Kansas
.
and the Arikaree River
just north of Haigler
in Dundy County, Nebraska
. It joins with the South Fork Republican River
immediately southeast of Benkelman, Nebraska
. All three tributaries originate in the High Plains
of northeastern Colorado
. From the confluence, the river flows generally eastward along the southern border of Nebraska
, passing through Swanson Reservoir and Harlan County Reservoir
before curving southward into the Smoky Hills
region of Kansas
. The Republican River joins the Smoky Hill River
at Junction City, Kansas
to form the Kansas River
.
Some cities along the river are McCook, Nebraska
, Clay Center, Kansas
, Concordia, Kansas
and Junction City, Kansas
. Near Concordia is the Republican River Pegram Truss
, a bridge that goes over the Republican River that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
, breaking a dam and re-routing the river by 1/4 of a mile.
According to witness accounts, the roar of the water could be heard coming down the Republican Valley five miles away. Many survivors also reported that there were two crests - the water came up on May 28, then receded slightly, but the second crest on June 1 greatly exceeded the first. At one point, the water rose six feet in thirty minutes and was ten to fifteen feet higher than the previous record crest. Another account states that the Republican rose 10 feet in 12 minutes in McCook; naturally, anything in the path of that wall of water would be destroyed. Water was twenty feet deep in some places, and the discharge was an incredible 280,000 cubic feet/second - more than 320 times the normal flow today.
Estimates show 113 people killed. over 11,400 to 41,500 head of cattle were killed with one report stating that carcasses littered roads as to make them impassable. 341 miles (548.8 km) of highway and 307 bridges were destroyed with 74500 acres (301.5 km²) of farmland were inundated.
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the central Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, flowing 453 miles (729 km) through the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of 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....
and Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
Geography
The Republican River is formed by the confluence of the North Fork Republican RiverNorth Fork Republican River
The North Fork Republican River is a tributary of the Republican River. It flows eastward from a source in Yuma County, Colorado to just north of Hagler in Dundy County, Nebraska...
and the Arikaree River
Arikaree River
The Arikaree River is a tributary of the Republican River that starts near Limon in Lincoln County, Colorado. The river flows east into Kansas, crossing the extreme northwestern corner of that state before entering Nebraska...
just north of Haigler
Haigler, Nebraska
Haigler is a village in Dundy County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 211 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Haigler is located at ....
in Dundy County, Nebraska
Dundy County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,292 people, 961 households, and 637 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 1,196 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
. It joins with the South Fork Republican River
South Fork Republican River
The South Fork Republican River is a river that arises in Lincoln County, Colorado, United States, and flows east-northeastward for about through Kit Carson and Yuma Counties, Colorado, and Cheyenne County, Kansas, to a confluence with the Republican River in Dundy County, Nebraska. Bonny...
immediately southeast of Benkelman, Nebraska
Benkelman, Nebraska
Benkelman, a city, is the county seat of Dundy County , Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,006 at the 2000 census. As of the 2010 census it has a population of 839-Geography:Benkelman is located at ....
. All three tributaries originate in the High Plains
High Plains (United States)
The High Plains are a subregion of the Great Plains mostly in the Western United States, but also partly in the Midwest states of Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota, generally encompassing the western part of the Great Plains before the region reaches the Rocky Mountains...
of northeastern Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. From the confluence, the river flows generally eastward along the southern border of 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....
, passing through Swanson Reservoir and Harlan County Reservoir
Harlan County Reservoir
The Harlan County Reservoir includes a dam and a reservoir of located in Harlan County in south-central Nebraska. Its southernmost part extends into northern Phillips County, Kansas. The reservoir is formed by a dam in the Republican River, which starts in Colorado and ends in Kansas.The two...
before curving southward into the Smoky Hills
Smoky Hills
The Smoky Hills are an upland region of hills in the central Great Plains of North America. They are located in the central United States, encompassing north-central Kansas and a small portion of south-central Nebraska. The hills are a dissected plain covered by tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie...
region of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. The Republican River joins the Smoky Hill River
Smoky Hill River
The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through the U.S. states of Colorado and Kansas.-Names:The Smoky Hill gets its name from the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas through which it flows...
at Junction City, Kansas
Junction City, Kansas
Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,353. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby...
to form the Kansas River
Kansas River
The Kansas River is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwestern-most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwestern-most portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its name come from the Kanza people who once inhabited the area...
.
Some cities along the river are McCook, Nebraska
McCook, Nebraska
McCook is a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Red Willow County...
, Clay Center, Kansas
Clay Center, Kansas
Clay Center is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,334.-Geography:Clay Center is located at...
, Concordia, Kansas
Concordia, Kansas
Concordia is a city in and the county seat of Cloud County, Kansas, United States. Located on the Republican River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains, Concordia was founded in 1871 and is an economic and cultural center in north-central Kansas...
and Junction City, Kansas
Junction City, Kansas
Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,353. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby...
. Near Concordia is the Republican River Pegram Truss
Republican River Pegram Truss
The Republican River Pegram Truss is a bridge located near Concordia, Kansas that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a three-span through truss bridge over the Republican River on route 795, northeast of Concordia...
, a bridge that goes over the Republican River that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The river was named after a branch of Pawnee Indians known as "the Republicans" (Stewart 1967:223). Allocation of the water from the Republican River is governed through an agreement called the Republican River Compact, involving the states of Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado.July 1902
On July 9, 1902, the river flooded near ConcordiaConcordia, Kansas
Concordia is a city in and the county seat of Cloud County, Kansas, United States. Located on the Republican River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains, Concordia was founded in 1871 and is an economic and cultural center in north-central Kansas...
, breaking a dam and re-routing the river by 1/4 of a mile.
May/June 1935
The storm of May 31/June 1 (called "Nebraska's Deadliest Flood") dumped an average rainfall of nine inches on the river's watershed. This storm was also unique in that it moved in the same direction as the drainage basin. As a result, the Frenchman, Red Willow, Medicine, Deer, Muddy, and Turkey creeks all reached their flood peaks at the same time as the crest passed on the Republican River.According to witness accounts, the roar of the water could be heard coming down the Republican Valley five miles away. Many survivors also reported that there were two crests - the water came up on May 28, then receded slightly, but the second crest on June 1 greatly exceeded the first. At one point, the water rose six feet in thirty minutes and was ten to fifteen feet higher than the previous record crest. Another account states that the Republican rose 10 feet in 12 minutes in McCook; naturally, anything in the path of that wall of water would be destroyed. Water was twenty feet deep in some places, and the discharge was an incredible 280,000 cubic feet/second - more than 320 times the normal flow today.
Estimates show 113 people killed. over 11,400 to 41,500 head of cattle were killed with one report stating that carcasses littered roads as to make them impassable. 341 miles (548.8 km) of highway and 307 bridges were destroyed with 74500 acres (301.5 km²) of farmland were inundated.
Popular culture
The river is mentioned as a landmark in the Chapter 30 of the book Around the World in 80 Days by Jules VerneJules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
.