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Cedar Bluff Dam

Cedar Bluff Dam


Statistics

General

  • Region (Map) : ................... Great Plains
  • State (Map) .......................  Kansas
  • County ................................ Trego
  • Project: ................................ PSMBP-Cedar Bluff
  • Dam type: ........................... Earthfill
  • Location: ............................ 18 mi SW of Ellis
  • Watercourse: ..................... Smoky Hill River
  • Reservoir: ........................... Cedar Bluff
  • Construction Date: ............1949-1951
  • National ID Number ......... KS00019
  • Hydrologic Unit Code ......

Dimensions


Hydraulics

  • Normal Water Surface Elev: ...............2144.0 ft
  • Hydraulic Height: ................................ 102 .0 ft
  • Service Spillway Type:
  •    Uncontrolled  Crest    ...............................Yes
  •    Morning-Glory ........................................... No
  •    Crest Length    .....................................150.5 ft
  •    Gated      ...................................................... No
  •    Capacity at Elev:  2192.0  ft,           91,000 cfs
  • Auxiliary Spillway ......................................... No
  •     Capacity at Elev.   .................................. 0 cfs
  • Outlet Works Capacity at
  •     Elevation  2144.0 ft.,  .......................... 800 cfs 

Hydrology

  • Drainage Area: ................................5338.7 sq mi
  • Hydrometeorological Report        HMR 51&52
  • Flood Type: ..............................Summer General
  • Storm Duration: ........................................ 72 hrs
  • Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) Report:
  •   Peak Inflow: ................................... 712,000 cfs
  •   Inflow Volume: ..................... 2,041,000 acre-ft
  •   Flow Duration: .................................... 15 days
  •   PMF Routing MWS Elev.: ........................ NA
  •   Initial Routing Elev: .......................... 2144.0 ft
  •   Study Date: ............................. December 1986


Power Generation


Narration

 


Geology

In general, the geologic section exposed in the area consists of surface alluvium, dune sand and terrace deposits of Quaternary age.  The older Ogallala (Tertiary) limestones and sandstones lie below these deposits and the yet older Fort Hays Chalk and the Carlisle Shale, both of Cretaceous age.  The Smokey Hill River and its main tributaries have cut to a maximum depth 300 feet into nearly horizontal beds of limestone, sandstone, chalk and shale in the vicinity of Cedar Bluff Dam.  This ancient river valley is about six miles long.  The horizontal formations refereed tops differ in their resistance to erosion, which causes a step-like or bench topography.  Cliffs or steep slopes are formed by the more resistant beds and the less resistant beds form gentle slopes.  The higher lands bordering the river valley are kept by relatively resistant limestone of the Ogallala formation.  This limestone and an underlying section of loosely cemented sand, "Mortar Beds", appear as predominate white outcrops.  These outcrops mark the edge of the "Ogallala Upland".

The Smoky Hill River establishes three separate flood plains and cut three different channels at the dam site.  The channels are designated as the "preglacial channel", "sand terrace channel", and "present channel".  The oldest channel, preglacial, was cut into the shale bedrock to a point north of the present position of the river


Links

 | Recreation |

 | Dams Located by State | USBR Kansas Dams | South Great Plains Region Dams |

 | Owner:  Bureau of Reclamation, Nebraska-Kansas Area Office,
                   PO Box 1607, Grand Island, NE 68802-1607, (308) 389-4622

 | Operator:  Bureau of Reclamation, Nebraska-Kansas Area Office,
                       PO Box 1607, Grand Island, NE 68802-1607, (308) 389-4622

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