Big Creek (Kansas)

Big Creek
Creek
Country United States
State Kansas
Source
 - location Gove County, Kansas
 - elevation 2,986 ft (910 m)
 - coordinates 39°06′43″N 100°44′57″W / 39.11194°N 100.74917°W [1]
Mouth Smoky Hill River
 - location Russell County, Kansas
 - elevation 1,713 ft (522 m)
 - coordinates 38°47′25″N 98°55′10″W / 38.79028°N 98.91944°WCoordinates: 38°47′25″N 98°55′10″W / 38.79028°N 98.91944°W [1]
Length 221 mi (356 km)

Big Creek is a 221-mile (356 km) stream in the central Great Plains of North America. It is a tributary of the Smoky Hill River, and the entirety of its length lies in the U.S. state of Kansas.[2]

Geography

Big Creek originates in the High Plains of northwestern Kansas.[3] Its source lies in extreme northwestern Gove County.[2] From there, it flows generally east-southeast through the Smoky Hills to its confluence with the Smoky Hill River in southwestern Russell County.[3]

In Ellis County, Kansas, Big Creek flows through the cities of Ellis and Hays.[3] In Ellis, it is dammed to maintain a small reservoir, Big Creek Lake.[4][5] In Hays, the creek runs through the campus of Fort Hays State University.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Big Creek
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "National Hydrography Dataset". National Hydrography Dataset. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "2003-2004 Official Transportation Map". Kansas Department of Transportation. 2003. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
  4. ↑ "Welcome to...Ellis, Kansas". City of Ellis, Kansas. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
  5. ↑ "City of Ellis [Map]". Kansas Department of Transportation. June 2007. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
  6. ↑ "City of Hays [Map]". Kansas Department of Transportation. Dec 2009. Retrieved 2014-06-22.