The Neosho Basin covers
approximately 6,300 square miles and encompasses all or parts of
18 counties in southeastern Kansas. The major streams in the
basin are the Neosho River, and its tributary the Cottonwood
River and the Spring River in the southeast portion of the
basin. The Neosho and Spring rivers join the Arkansas River in
Oklahoma. There are three major reservoirs in the river system:
Council Grove, Marion and John Redmond lakes.
The annual precipitation in the
basin varies from approximately 30 inches in the western-most
part of the basin to almost 42 inches in the southeast.
Approximately 70 percent of this precipitation falls between
April and September. Between 10 and 18 inches of snow falls in
an average winter. Average temperatures vary from 35 degrees in
the winter to 78 degrees in the summer.
There were an estimated 174,000
residents in the basin in the year 2000, and the population is
projected to grow to nearly 195,000 by the year 2040.
The local economy is based primarily
on agriculture and general manufacturing. The major crops grown
in the basin include wheat, grain sorghum and soybeans. The
production of beef cattle is another important part of the
area’s agricultural economy. The production of oil and gas is a
relatively small but important component of the economy. A
significant amount of coal, lead and zinc mining occurred
historically in the southeastern portion of the basin. Strip
mining of coal is the only one of these mining activities, which
continues today.
Another important component of the
local economy is the only nuclear powered generating plant in
Kansas, located near Burlington. The Wolf Creek plant is the
largest single water user in the basin.
The majority of water used in the
basin is from surface sources (88%). Uses of water are evenly
divided between industrial, municipal and recreational.
Significant water management entities in the basin include
conservation districts throughout the basin, the See-Kan, Flint
Hills and Lake Region Resource Conservation and Development
areas and 15 active watershed districts. By virtue of its
responsibility for three major reservoirs, the Corps of
Engineers is another important water manager in the basin.
