Hydrologic Conditions in Kansas, Water Year 2020
The U.S. Geological Survey management, protection of life and National Oceanic and Atmospheric (USGS), in cooperation with Federal, property, reservoir operations, agricul- Administration, 2020). All the major State, and local agencies, maintains a tural practices, public supply, ecological drainage basins in the State had areas long-term network of hydrologic moni- assessments, and industrial and recre- with greater than normal, less than toring stations in Kansas. This network ational purposes. normal, and normal precipitation (fig. 3). included 219 real-time streamgages, There was however a pattern of pre- 12 real-time reservoir-level monitoring dominantly greater than normal precipi- stations, and 20 groundwater monitoring Preceding Conditions and tation in north-central and northeastern stations in water year (WY) 2020. A WY Kansas and less than normal precipitation is a 12-month period from October 1 to Precipitation in extreme western and southeastern September 30 and is designated by the Kansas. Despite generally receiving calendar year in which it ends. WY 2019 was characterized by a normal amount of precipitation in Real-time data are verified by greater than normal precipitation across WY 2020, drought conditions intensi- USGS personnel throughout the year the State (fig. 1A; National Oceanic and fied across much of the State (fig. 4A and with regular measurements of stream- Atmospheric Administration, 2020). This B; National Drought Mitigation Center, flow, lake levels, and groundwater levels. resulted in normal to much greater than 2020). Hydrologic data collected in real time normal runoff and streamflow (fig. 1B; Characteristically, Kansas is typified aid in the understanding of, and deci- U.S. Geological Survey, 2020b). Of the by a pronounced gradient of precipita- sions made involving, water resources 12 reservoirs monitored by the USGS in tion across the State, and WY 2020 was of Kansas. Hydrologic conditions are Kansas, 10 began WY 2020 with water- no different. The westernmost part of the assessed annually by comparing statisti- level elevations above their full conserva- State received 10–20 inches of precipita- cal analyses of current and past WY data tion pool. tion, and the easternmost part received for the period of record. The monitor- During WY 2020, some areas of 35–50 inches with small areas receiv- ing of hydrologic conditions in Kansas Kansas received greater than normal ing as much as 50–60 inches (fig. 5; can provide critical information to meet annual precipitation, and some received National Oceanic and Atmospheric several needs including water-resources less than normal precipitation (fig. 2; Administration, 2020).
A. Water year 2019 statewide percentage of normal precipitation B. Water year 2019 statewide monthly average runoff 102° 101° 100° 99° 98° 97° 96° 95° Duration hydrograph of monthly runoff for Kansas 40° 90 Republican Missouri Republican Big Blue
Smoky Hill Kansas 39° 10
Lower Upper Arkansas Missouri Blackwater 38° Osage 1 Middle Arkansas Neosho