Smoky Hill River
Encyclopedia
The Smoky Hill River is a 575 miles (925.4 km) river
in the central Great Plains
of North America
, running through the U.S. state
s of Colorado
and Kansas
.
region of north-central Kansas through which it flows. Natives
living along the Smoky Hill considered it and the Kansas River
to be the same river, and their names for it included Chetolah and Okesee-sebo. Early maps of European explorers called the river (also in combination with the Kansas River) the River of the Padoucas as its source is located in what was then Padouca (Comanche
) territory.
The USGS lists a number of other variant names for the Smoky Hill River, including Chitolah River, Fork of the Hill Buckaneuse, La Fourche de la Cote Boucaniere, La Touche de la Cote Bucanieus, Manoiyohe, Pe P'a, Sand River, Shallow River, Smoky Creek, Branche de la Montagne a la Fumee, Ka-i-urs-kuta, Oke-see-sebo River, and Rahota katit hibaru, among others.
The Smoky Hill River originates in the High Plains
of eastern Colorado and flows east. Both the main course of the river and the North Fork Smoky Hill River
rise in northern Cheyenne County, Colorado
. The two streams converge roughly 5 miles (8 km) west of Russell Springs
in Logan County, Kansas
. From there, the river continues generally eastward through the Smoky Hills region. The Saline River
, one of the Smoky Hill's two main tributaries
, joins the river in eastern Saline County
. The other major tributary, the Solomon River
, joins the Smoky Hill in western Dickinson County
. The Smoky Hill joins the Republican River
at Junction City, Kansas
to form the Kansas River
.
The Smoky Hill River directly drains an area of 8810 sq mi (22,817.8 km²). The combined Smoky Hill-Saline Basin drains 12229 sq mi (31,673 km²). The entire Smoky Hill drainage basin
covers approximately 20000 square miles (51,799.8 km²), including most of north-central and northwestern Kansas. Via the Kansas
and Missouri
Rivers, the Smoky Hill is part of the Mississippi River
watershed.
The Smoky Hill feeds two reservoirs: Cedar Bluff Reservoir in Trego County
and Kanopolis Lake in Ellsworth County
.
The largest city along the Smoky Hill River is Salina
. Besides Junction City, other Kansas towns along the river are Ellsworth
, Marquette
. Lindsborg, Kansas, and Abilene
.
cartographer d'Anville
who labeled it the River of the Padoucas. A 1758 map referred to it as the Padoucas River. An early reference to the river as the Smoky Hill was by American
explorer Zebulon Pike
during his 1806 expedition to visit the Pawnee. The Kansas-Nebraska Act
of 1854 established Kansas Territory
, which included the entire length of the Smoky Hill River.
With the onset of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in 1858, an ancient Native American
trail along the Smoky Hill River provided the shortest, fastest route west across Kansas, becoming known as the Smoky Hill Trail. Beginning in 1865, the trail served as the route for the short-lived Butterfield Overland Despatch. To protect travelers, the U.S. Army
established several forts along the trail, including Fort Downer, Fort Harker
, Fort Hays
, Fort Monument, and Fort Wallace. Before American colonization, the land along the Smoky Hill River was favored hunting ground for the Plains Indians
. In 1867, the Comanche
and the Kiowa
, and in 1868, the Sioux
and the Arapaho
signed treaties withdrawing their opposition to the construction of a railroad along the Smoky Hill River. The Kansas Pacific Railway
was completed in 1870, rendering the Smoky Hill Trail obsolete.
In 1948, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished construction of a dam
on the Smoky Hill for flood control
in southeastern Ellsworth County, Kansas
, creating Kanopolis Lake. In 1951, the United States Bureau of Reclamation
completed another dam on the river, this one for irrigation
as well as flood control, in southeastern Trego County
, creating Cedar Bluff Reservoir.
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...
, running 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 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...
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...
.
Names
The Smoky Hill gets its name from the Smoky HillsSmoky 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 north-central Kansas through which it flows. Natives
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
living along the Smoky Hill considered it and 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...
to be the same river, and their names for it included Chetolah and Okesee-sebo. Early maps of European explorers called the river (also in combination with the Kansas River) the River of the Padoucas as its source is located in what was then Padouca (Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
) territory.
The USGS lists a number of other variant names for the Smoky Hill River, including Chitolah River, Fork of the Hill Buckaneuse, La Fourche de la Cote Boucaniere, La Touche de la Cote Bucanieus, Manoiyohe, Pe P'a, Sand River, Shallow River, Smoky Creek, Branche de la Montagne a la Fumee, Ka-i-urs-kuta, Oke-see-sebo River, and Rahota katit hibaru, among others.
Geography
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 eastern Colorado and flows east. Both the main course of the river and the North Fork Smoky Hill River
North Fork Smoky Hill River
North Fork Smoky Hill River is a stream that flows from a source in Cheyenne County, Colorado to a confluence with the Smoky Hill River in Logan County, Kansas....
rise in northern Cheyenne County, Colorado
Cheyenne County, Colorado
Cheyenne County is the fifth least densely populated of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 2,231 at U.S. Census 2000...
. The two streams converge roughly 5 miles (8 km) west of Russell Springs
Russell Springs, Kansas
Russell Springs is a city in Logan County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24.-History:Russell Springs, founded in 1865, was the Eaton stop on the Butterfield Overland Dispatch stage line. The line ran through rough Indian country to connect the gold mines in...
in Logan County, Kansas
Logan County, Kansas
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,756...
. From there, the river continues generally eastward through the Smoky Hills region. The Saline River
Saline River (Kansas)
The Saline River is a tributary of the Smoky Hill River in the central Great Plains of North America. The entire length of the river lies in the U.S. state of Kansas. The river takes its name from the French translation of its Native name Ne Miskua, referring to its salty content.-Geography:The...
, one of the Smoky Hill's two main tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
, joins the river in eastern Saline County
Saline County, Kansas
Saline County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 55,606...
. The other major tributary, the Solomon River
Solomon River
The Solomon River, often referred to as the "Solomon Fork", is a river in the central Great Plains of North America. The entire length of the river lies in the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a tributary of the Smoky Hill River.-Names:...
, joins the Smoky Hill in western Dickinson County
Dickinson County, Kansas
Dickinson County is a county located in Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 19,754. Its county seat and most populous city is Abilene. It was named in honor of Daniel S. Dickinson.-19th century:In 1887, Mr. Herington successfully got...
. The Smoky Hill joins the Republican River
Republican River
The Republican River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, flowing through the U.S. states of Nebraska and Kansas.-Geography:...
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...
.
The Smoky Hill River directly drains an area of 8810 sq mi (22,817.8 km²). The combined Smoky Hill-Saline Basin drains 12229 sq mi (31,673 km²). The entire Smoky Hill drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
covers approximately 20000 square miles (51,799.8 km²), including most of north-central and northwestern Kansas. Via the Kansas
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...
and Missouri
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
Rivers, the Smoky Hill is part of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
watershed.
The Smoky Hill feeds two reservoirs: Cedar Bluff Reservoir in Trego County
Trego County, Kansas
Trego County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,001...
and Kanopolis Lake in Ellsworth County
Ellsworth County, Kansas
Ellsworth County is a county located in Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 6,497. Its county seat and most populous city is Ellsworth.-19th century:...
.
The largest city along the Smoky Hill River is Salina
Salina, Kansas
Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...
. Besides Junction City, other Kansas towns along the river are Ellsworth
Ellsworth, Kansas
Ellsworth is a city in and the county seat of Ellsworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,120.-19th century:...
, Marquette
Marquette, Kansas
Marquette is a city located in the northwest corner of McPherson County, Kansas, United States, between K-4 and the Smoky Hill River. The city was settled by Swedish immigrants and chartered on February 9, 1874...
. Lindsborg, Kansas, and Abilene
Abilene, Kansas
Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...
.
History
The earliest known reference to the river was on a 1732 map by FrenchFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
cartographer d'Anville
Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville
Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville , was both a geographer and cartographer who greatly improved the standards of map-making. His maps of ancient geography, characterized by careful, accurate work and based largely on original research, are especially valuable...
who labeled it the River of the Padoucas. A 1758 map referred to it as the Padoucas River. An early reference to the river as the Smoky Hill was by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
explorer Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr. was an American officer and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. As a United States Army captain in 1806-1807, he led the Pike Expedition to explore and document the southern portion of the Louisiana Purchase and to find the headwaters of the Red River,...
during his 1806 expedition to visit the Pawnee. The Kansas-Nebraska Act
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement, and had the effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by allowing settlers in those territories to determine through Popular Sovereignty if they would allow slavery within...
of 1854 established Kansas Territory
Kansas Territory
The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Kansas....
, which included the entire length of the Smoky Hill River.
With the onset of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in 1858, an ancient Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
trail along the Smoky Hill River provided the shortest, fastest route west across Kansas, becoming known as the Smoky Hill Trail. Beginning in 1865, the trail served as the route for the short-lived Butterfield Overland Despatch. To protect travelers, the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
established several forts along the trail, including Fort Downer, Fort Harker
Fort Harker (Kansas)
Fort Harker, located in Kanopolis, Kansas, was an active military installation of the United States Army from November 17, 1866 to October 5, 1872. The fortification was named after General Charles Garrison Harker, who was killed in action at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in the American Civil War...
, Fort Hays
Fort Hays
Fort Hays was an important frontier outpost of the United States Army located in Hays, Kansas between 1865 and 1889. Fort Hays was the home of several well-known Indian wars regiments including the Seventh U.S. Cavalry, the Fifth U.S. Infantry, and the Tenth U.S. Cavalry, whose black troopers were...
, Fort Monument, and Fort Wallace. Before American colonization, the land along the Smoky Hill River was favored hunting ground for the Plains Indians
Plains Indians
The Plains Indians are the Indigenous peoples who live on the plains and rolling hills of the Great Plains of North America. Their colorful equestrian culture and resistance to White domination have made the Plains Indians an archetype in literature and art for American Indians everywhere.Plains...
. In 1867, the Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
and the Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
, and in 1868, the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
and the Arapaho
Arapaho
The Arapaho are a tribe of Native Americans historically living on the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Sioux. Arapaho is an Algonquian language closely related to Gros Ventre, whose people are seen as an early...
signed treaties withdrawing their opposition to the construction of a railroad along the Smoky Hill River. The Kansas Pacific Railway
Kansas Pacific Railway
The Kansas Pacific Railway was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century. It was a federally chartered railroad, backed with government land grants. It operated many of the first long-distance lines in the state of Kansas in the 1870s,...
was completed in 1870, rendering the Smoky Hill Trail obsolete.
In 1948, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished construction of a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Smoky Hill for flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
in southeastern Ellsworth County, Kansas
Ellsworth County, Kansas
Ellsworth County is a county located in Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 6,497. Its county seat and most populous city is Ellsworth.-19th century:...
, creating Kanopolis Lake. In 1951, the United States Bureau of Reclamation
United States Bureau of Reclamation
The United States Bureau of Reclamation , and formerly the United States Reclamation Service , is an agency under the U.S...
completed another dam on the river, this one for 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...
as well as flood control, in southeastern Trego County
Trego County, Kansas
Trego County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,001...
, creating Cedar Bluff Reservoir.