2000 - 2006 Flows at some USGS streamgages lower than 1930's or 1950's droughts

Streamflow conditions in Kansas have been adversely affected by drought for the last six years. Because many USGS streamgages have long-term records that include periods of previous documented droughts, average annual flow for past drought periods can be compared with current average annual flow (water years 2000-2006). Current average annual flow on the Republican River, Smoky Hill River, Solomon River, upper Kansas River, and upper Arkansas River as well as many tributary sites is lower than streamflow during all previous droughts. This has occurred despite precipitation between 2000-06 being greater than that in 1929-41 or 1952-57 in all cases.


Average of lowest 5 consecutive years during drought years 2000-2006 in Kansas
		Previous Documented Droughts
Station Name	Average 2000-2006	Average	Average	Average	Average	Average	Long-term	Years of	Remarks
	Streamflow (cfs)	1929-41	1952-57	1962-72	1974-82	1988-92	annual	record
		streamflow (cfs)	streamflow (cfs)	streamflow (cfs)	streamflow (cfs)	streamflow (cfs)	average
Beaver Creek near Cedar Bluffs	0.047	no data	6.45	3.48	1.65	1.79	12.2	58
Prairie Dog Creek near Woodruff	2.37	no data	31.4	8.7	3.65	3.74	24.9	63
Republican River near Hardy	53.7	557	233	264	202	138	470	73	1933-41 only
Republican River at Concordia	153	no data	291	470	390	254	615	60
Republican River at Clay Center	208	708	331	685	575	395	935	88
Big Creek near Hays	6.59	no data	10.8	15.2	11.6	6.50	31.2	59
Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth	56.7	193	107	197	117	96.4	232	95
Smoky Hill River near Mentor	91.5	no data	189	257	246	120	375	65
Smoky Hill River at Enterprise	413	664	761	824	1010	559	1543	71	1935-41 only
North Fork Solomon River at Portis	21.5	no data	85.3	71.1	43.3	43.0	115	60
South Fork Solomon River at Osborne	11.6	no data	57.7	22.4	26.6	26.0	106	85
Solomon River at Niles	121	239	290	210	314	252	552	94
Saline River near Russell	20.2	no data	59.5*	66.5	46.7	18.9	91.7	55	1952,53 only
Saline River near Tescott	41.7	124	182	72.2	89.1	76.3	215	86
Kansas River at Wamego	2420	3201	2948	4176	5310	2633	5058	86
Soldier Creek at Topeka	103	44.6*	20.1	101	144	99.4	155	70
Kansas River at Lecompton	2198	no data	2540*	4303	5932	3490	7116	69
Marais des Cygnes River at Ottawa	580	372	199	606	717	384	693	90
Arkansas River at Syracuse	75.2	181	146	169	32.5	164	288	89
Arkansas River at Garden City	4.24	51.7	56.7	234	no data	30.5	177	66	missing 1970-86
Arkansas River at Dodge City	0.26	no data	80.5	99.3	1.15	7.91	130	65
Arkansas River near Kinsley	0.11	no data	97.5	117	22.8	12.6	122	61
Arkansas River at Great Bend	12.4	no data	188	270	82.3	31.9	250	67
Pawnee River near Rozel	8.16	35.6	41.1	32.0	21.3	17.3	58.9	81
Little Arkansas River at Valley Center	292	68.4	74.2	223	325	143	314	83
Arkansas River at Wichita	653	365*	434	763	843	445	1040	71	missing 1929-34
Ninnescah River near Peck	498	no data	259	263	489	327	522	68	1939-41 only
Arkansas River at Arkansas City	1813	707	859	1409	1637	1100	1925	87
Walnut River at Winfield	1252	260	179	654	553	552	893	84
Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa	140	70.2*	no data	96.1	130	125	151	61	1939-41 only
Crooked Creek near Englewood	8.51	no data	37.5	15.5	15.8	10.8	28.4	63
Verdigris River near Altoona	673	no data	152	327	474	648	761	67	1940-41 only
Verdigris River at Independence	1813	677	388	740	1221	1580	1782	91
Fall River near Fredonia	565	no data	94.0	228	328	380	512	67	1939-41 only
Caney River near Elgin	310	no data	72.5	94.7	159	228	274	66
Neosho River at Council Grove	96.0	no data	24.7	54.0	80.3	35.5	124	67	1939-41 only
Cedar Creek near Cedar Point	56.2	no data	10.4	43.1	39.3	41.3	57.5	67	1939-41 only
Neosho River near Iola	1640	589	381	1103	1400	1290	1849	95
Neosho River near Parsons	2219	849	640	1359	1967	2120	2720	84

Note: Highlighted mean annual streamflows indicate lowest value
* indicates incomplete data for period

Average Precipitation


			Water Years
NWS division	2000-06	1929-41	1952-57	1962-72	1974-82	1988-92	normal
Northwest	18.11	18.47	14.88	20.13	20.91	20.92	20.84
North central	24.73	23.39	21.80	25.43	26.07	24.14	26.71
Northeast	33.13	30.35	27.23	33.07	35.06	30.53	35.41

West central	18.77	17.98	15.89	19.36	19.01	19.40	19.71
Central	26.74	23.21	21.84	26.91	27.76	22.79	28.08
East central	34.55	32.92	28.76	35.22	34.25	32.53	36.85

Southwest	18.75	16.13	14.53	18.98	17.79	18.60	19.06
South central	29.44	25.02	21.09	25.37	26.40	24.62	27.11
Southeast	37.58	35.04	29.16	35.00	37.09	37.80	38.87

State average	26.87	24.72	21.69	26.61	27.15	25.70	28.07

All values in inches. Period of record for normal 1971-2000. Source: U.S. Department of
Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service�
published reports.