Hydrologic Conditions in Kansas, Water Year 2019 The U.S. Geological Survey Kansas provides important information Kansas at the end of WY 2017 (fig. 2A). (USGS), in cooperation with Federal, for many functions including managing During WY 2018, most of the eastern State, and local agencies, maintains water resources, protecting human life half of the State experienced normal a long-term network of hydrologic and property, maintaining agricultural (average) to below normal precipitation, monitoring stations in Kansas. In water and industrial activities, the operation of whereas parts of the western half of the year (WY) 2019, this network included reservoirs, the development of infrastruc- State experienced above normal precipi- 217 real-time streamgages (fig. 1). A WY ture, accurate ecological assessments, and tation, particularly north-central Kansas is the 12-month period from October 1 recreational purposes. (fig. 2B). South-central and eastern through September 30 and is designated Kansas experienced below and much by the calendar year in which it ends. below normal precipitation, resulting in Real-time hydrologic data are veri- abnormally dry to extreme drought condi- fied by USGS personnel throughout the Preceding Conditions and tions at the end of WY 2018 (fig. 3) that year providing regular measurements of Precipitation continued into WY 2019. streamflow, lake levels, and groundwater Heavy rainfall events in October and levels. These data and associated analyses Despite some isolated, heavy November of 2018 ended drought condi- provide a unique overview of hydrologic precipitation events, overall streamflow tions, and by the beginning of December, conditions and help improve the under- and drainage basin runoff conditions dry conditions were virtually nonexis- standing of Kansas’ water resources. decreased for the State of Kansas tent in Kansas and remained that way Annual assessments of hydrologic condi- between WYs 2017 and 2018. During throughout WY 2019 (National Drought tions are made by comparing statistical WY 2017, precipitation in most of the Mitigation Center, 2019). Overall, normal analyses of current and past WY data State was classified as normal to below to much above normal precipitation for the period of record. Long-term normal, which resulted in drought condi- occurred throughout WY 2019 (fig. 4A) monitoring of hydrologic conditions in tions in much of central and eastern (National Oceanic and Atmospheric River basins South Fork Republican Tuttle Creek River Basin Lake Kansas River Basin KANSAS Wilson Lake Milford Perry Lake Lake Kanopolis Pomona Lake CedarCedar Bluff LakeLake Lake Clinton Lake EXPLANATION Melvern Major cities Lake Hillsdale Rivers Horse Thief Reservoir Lake Cheney Lake Streamage location Cimarron River Basin Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data 0 50 100 MILES Albers Equal Area Conic projection North American Datum of 1983 0 50 100 KILOMETERS Figure 1. United States Geological Survey streamgages in Kansas and selected river basins. U.S. Department of the Interior Fact Sheet 2020–3029 U.S. Geological Survey July 2020 A. Water year 2017 Administration, 2019). The above normal precipitation within a month on record; precipitation for WY 2019 extended from out of 125 years of record, the precipita- the northeast portion of the State, with tion for May (10.26 inches) beat the 1951 more than 20 inches of above normal record of 9.36 inches (National Weather annual rainfall occurring in places, down Service, 2019). Additionally, in WY to the southwest portion of the State, with 2019, Kansas experienced the second only a small area experiencing normal largest amount of precipitation in a water precipitation (National Weather Service, year within 130-years of record (National 2019) (fig. 4B). Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, B. Water year 2018 2019) and the most cumulative runoff on record (fig. 5A). Runoff, or streamflow per unit Streamflow Conditions area, is a good indicator of precipita- and Drainage Basin tion and streamflow for a given drainage basin. The monthly average runoff graph Runoff shows the continuity of above normal hydrologic conditions during WY 2019 Kansas experienced several (fig. 5B). Streamflow conditions were EXPLANATION record-breaking hydrologic conditions much above normal in Kansas during Normal precipitation, in percent during WY 2019, including the most the first quarter of the WY (October to 175 100 150 90 A. Percentage of normal precipitation, water year 2019 125 75 110 50 100 25 Figure 2. Comparison of statewide percentage of normal precipitation (1981–2010) (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2019). A, Water year 2017. B, Water year 2018. A. Water year 2017 B. Inches of precipitation above normal, water year 2019 B. Water year 2018 EXPLANATION Drought intensity Abnormally dry Moderate drought Severe drought Extreme drought Exceptional drought Figure 3. Comparison of drought conditions in Kansas (National Drought Mitigation Center, 2019). A, At the end of Figure 4. Precipitation for water year 2019 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric water year 2017. B, At the end of water Administration, 2019). A, Statewide percentage of normal (1981–2010) precipitation for water year 2018. year 2019. B, Statewide inches of precipitation above normal (1981–2010) for water year 2019. A. Cumulative daily average runoff EXPLANATION [<, less than; >, greater than] Percentile classes <10 10–24 25–75 Low Much below Below normal normal Normal 76–90 >90 Above Much above High No data normal normal Water Year 2019 ctober December 2018 B. Monthly average runoff January arch 2019 pril June 2019 July September 2019 EXPLANATION Percentile class lowest 90th percentile 10th percentile 5 10 24 25 75 76 90 95 highest Runoff Below Normal Above Much below normal normal normal Much above normal Figure 6. Comparison of monthly streamflow conditions across Kansas Figure 5. Graphs showing average runoff in Kansas for water year 2019 (U.S. Geological throughout water year 2019 (U.S. Geological Survey 2019a). A, Comparison of cumulative daily average runoff. B, Monthly average runoff. Survey, 2019a). December 2018), except for small areas maintained through March by a strong remained, ending the water year with the in northwest and southwest Kansas, blizzard in the region. April through June State in mostly normal to high stream- which were slightly below normal maintained mostly above normal to high flow conditions (fig. 6). (fig. 6). By January to March, streamflow streamflow conditions from multiple Due to large precipitation events, conditions in the northern and central widespread precipitation events. In July runoff conditions in most of Kansas portions of Kansas remained in the through September, the normal to above were in the 90th percentile by May, normal to much above normal percentile normal trend of streamflow conditions with every county but one in north- class. Above normal streamflow was western Kansas experiencing normal to record high runoff conditions (fig. 7). Precipitation events began decreasing in magnitude by July. In response to the heavy precipitation, Kansas reser- voirs began releasing large outflows to decrease the elevation of water stored in the reservoir’s respective flood pools (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2019). This resulted in streamflow conditions that were continuously much above normal for rivers in the upper and lower Kansas River Basin (fig. 1) and normal to above normal conditions in most of the State. The eastern portion of the State, where most of the large reservoirs are located, had the highest percentiles EXPLANATION of monthly streamflow conditions for [<, less than; >, greater than] the month of July. However, much Percentile classes of the western part of the State still experienced above normal conditions, <10 10–24 25–75 76–90 >90 Low Much below Below Above Much above High No data with only the Cimarron and South Fork normal normal Normal normal normal Republican River Basins (fig. 1) experi- encing below normal streamflow condi- Figure 7. Streamflow conditions across Kansas throughout May 2019 (U.S. Geological tions. By the end of WY 2019, most of Survey, 2019a). the State was still experiencing above normal or normal conditions, which can persisting flood conditions was in 1993. backwater conditions at many sites in be attributed to the above normal pre- Six streamgages that have been operated Kansas, resulting in peak of record and cipitation occurring throughout the WY by the USGS prior to WY 1993 observed sustained high water-surface elevations and to reservoir releases. a new peak of record. at various streamgages. Backwater is a In WY 2019, rivers above flood condition that occurs when high water- stage for more than 30 days in stream surface elevations downstream or from reaches with a USGS streamgage the main channel affect the height and Record Breaking High included the Marias Des Cygnes, flow of the water upstream. Streamgages Water Arkansas, Neosho, Kansas, Republican, with data above flood stage for more than Big Blue, Black Vermillion, Fancy Creek, 15 days because of backwater from Tuttle WY 2019 was characterized by Cow Creek, Cottonwood, and Missouri Creek Lake (06886900) and Milford sustained high water in much of the Rivers (fig.1). Flood stage is deter- Lake (06857050) included: Republican State. For 69 percent of the WY, one or mined by the National Weather Service, River at Clay Center (06856600), Big more streamgages were above National although not all USGS streamgages have Blue River at Blue Rapids (06884700), Weather Service flood stage, leav- a National Weather Service flood stage. Black Vermillion River near Frankfort ing 114 days without flooding in the The above average precipitation and (06885500), and Fancy Creek at Winkler State (U.S. Geological Survey, 2019b) runoff that occurred in WY 2019 caused (06886500) (fig. 1). (fig. 8). Photographs of flooding events taken by USGS personnel are shown in figure 9. WY 2019 observed 200 more days of flooding than WY 2018 and 194 more days of flooding than WY 2017 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2019b). Many streamgages observed a new peak of record for water eleva- tion in WY 2019.