The Missouri River Basin covers
some 1,600 square miles in the northeast corner of Kansas (see
Figure 1). This is but a fraction of the entire Missouri River
drainage, which includes all, or part of ten states and extends
into Canada. Tributary streams within the basin include the
South Fork Nemaha River, Wolf River and numerous smaller
tributaries, which flow directly into the Missouri. While there
are no large federal reservoirs in the basin, the flow of the
Missouri River is regulated by six large reservoirs operated by
the Corps of Engineers in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota
and Nebraska. The Corps has also conducted extensive bank
stabilization works and maintains a navigation channel within
the Missouri River.
Unlike most other Kansas River
basins, the Missouri Basin was glaciated. Glacial deposits and
wind deposited loess are found in some parts of the basin. In
some localities the glacial deposits serve as aquifers. Of
particular interest are the bluffs bordering the Missouri River,
which exceed 200 feet in height in places. The climate of the
Missouri Basin is humid, with average annual total precipitation
ranging between 31-36 inches.
There were an estimated 143,000
residents in the basin in 2000 and the population is projected
to grow only 3 percent by the year 2040.
Most water withdrawals for
municipal and industrial supply come from surface sources,
primarily the Missouri River. Municipal and industrial supply
is the predominant use of water. One multipurpose small lake
(Pony Creek) has been developed in the Missouri Basin. This
lake serves as a water source for the City of Sabetha, which is
located just over the divide in the Kansas-Lower Republican
Basin. Six watershed districts have been organized in the
Missouri Basin, primarily for flood control.
