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Smoky Hill-Saline River Basin

The Smoky Hill-Saline Basin lies within the Great Plains and Central Lowland physiographic provinces.  The Smoky Hill-Saline basin in Kansas is an elongated drainage area, which extends eastward from the Colorado border approximately 250 miles to the vicinity of Junction City, Kansas.  The Smoky Hill-Saline Basin covers all or parts 30 counties.  The Smoky Hill River has a drainage area of about 8,810 square miles.  The Smoky Hill River flows eastward to Junction City to the confluence with the Republican River. Below this point the river is known as the Kansas River.  The drainage area of the Saline River is about 3,419 square miles.  The Saline River, a tributary of the Smoky Hill flows from near the Sherman-Thomas County line eastward to its confluence with the Smoky Hill River east of Salina.  Three large federal irrigation and/or flood control projects are located in the Smoky Hill-Saline basin, Cedar Bluff Reservoir, Wilson Lake and Kanopolis.

The Ogallala-High Plains aquifer is found in small parts of the western half of the Smoky Hill-Saline basin. Groundwater resources also include the alluvial deposits along the rivers and tributaries and the Flint Hills aquifer in the eastern end of the basin. Groundwater sources account for the majority of water use, with irrigation using the most water.

Map SHS BAC Membership 

No. Member Name Representative
Category		 Term
Expires
1. Chair - David Bailey, Ellsworth, KS Other Public Water Supplier (BSC) 6/30/2015
2. Vice Chair - Martha Tasker, Salina, KS Municipal Public Water Supply (CC) 6/30/2013
3. Vacant At Large Public East (CC) 6/30/2013
4. Bernard Kitten, Hays, KS Irrigation (BSC) 6/30/2015
5. Harold Frasier, Sharon Springs, KS At Large West (BSC) 6/30/2015
6. Chris Meyer, Sylvan Grove, KS Agriculture (CC) 6/30/2013
7. Eric Moden, Wakeeney, KS At Large Central (BSC) 6/30/2015
8. Steven Brinley, Hays, KS Industry/Commerce (CC) 6/30/2013
9. Bill Scott, Ransom, KS Recreation (CC) 6/30/2015
10. Wallace Weber, Dorrance, KS Conservation/Environment (CC) 6/30/2013
11. Greg Swob, Hays, KS Fish and Wildlife (CC) 6/30/2013

u Smoky Hill-Saline  Basin Advisory Committee Membership Application pdf image

Information Sheet - Attending a KWA Meeting as a Representative of your BAC

Current Projects in the Smoky Hill-Saline Basin

  • Wilson Lake Reallocation Study - This U.S. Army Corps of Engineer project is seeking to evaluate the regional water supply needs in a portion of central Kansas. The study will quantify present and future water supply for a defined area and review sources to meet those needs, including Wilson Lake. A study report with recommendations could be available in 2014.
  • Evaluation of Management of Kanopolis Reservoir and the Lower Smoky Hill River - Part of the regional water supply is Kanopolis Reservoir. A more efficient management of the releases from the reservoir may be beneficial to meeting water needs downstream of Kanopolis. A number of activities have been completed that further the understanding of the hydrologic system, including a groundwater model and an evaluation of various reservoir releases on the system and downstream water rights.
  • Management of the Ogallala-High Plains Aquifer - The Smoky Hill-Saline basin is underlain by the Ogallala formation of the High Plains aquifer in the western portion of the basin.  Groundwater depletion due to the pumping of the Ogallala-High Plains and the overlying alluvial aquifers is occurring to varying degrees across the basin. Refined management of the aquifer is being developed by identification of areas (subunits), subunit goals and management tools. Goals are to manage the system for long-term sustainability and to conserve and extend the life of the Ogallala-High Plains aquifer. Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District #4 activities can be found on their “Enhanced Management” web page. Western Kansas Groundwater Management District #1 subunit protocol may be found on their Current Issues web page.
  • Related Research on Management of the Ogallala-High Plains Aquifer:
    • Index Wells - The existing annual water level monitoring program does not and cannot deliver the required accuracy and precision for effective management of aquifer subunits.  The problems have been reviewed extensively in KGS OFR 2002-25. To improve measuring of the aquifer’s hydrologic responses at the local level a pilot program was initiated in 2007.
  • Practical Saturated Thickness (PST) - PST considers only the net thickness of saturated sediments that significantly contribute to well yield from the water table down to the bedrock surface and differs from the saturated thickness (ST), which is the total thickness of saturated sediments between the water table and the bedrock surface.  Please see the report of the initial evaluation of PST in GMD3 for more information. Additional work is underway to refine the use of PST with additional information to define ant amount of water as well as its distribution (PST+) in GMD 1.

Past Meetings & Materials

  • April 5, 2012 - SHS BAC Meeting - 9:30 am - Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2700 Vine Street, Hays, KS  - Meeting Materials
  • January 25-26, 2012, KWA Meeting, Topeka, KS
  • November 3-4, 2011 - KWA Meeting, Lawrence, KS
  • October 5, 2011 - Smoky Hill-Saline Basin Advisory Committee Meeting, 9:30 a.m., Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2700 Vine, Hays KS - Meeting Materials
  • August 11-12, 2011 - KWA, Lyons
  • June 8, 2011 - SHS BAC Meeting, 9:30 a.m., Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2700 Vine, Hays, KS - Meeting Materials
  • March 16, 2011 - SHS BAC Meeting, 9:30 a.m., Hays Convention Visitors Bureau, 2700 Vine Street, Hays, KS - Meeting Materials

Questions?  Contact Diane.Coe@kwo.ks.gov - KWO Smoky Hill-Saline Basin Planner - Diane Coe's responsibilities include basin planning for the Smoky Hill-Saline, Cimarron, and Upper Arkansas basins.  Ms. Coe's primary areas of expertise and experience include groundwater, hydrogeology, and water quality.  Ms. Coe is a licensed geologist with the Kansas Board of Technical Professionals and a Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian with the National Environmental Health Association.