Republican River

Republican River
River
Country	United States
States	Kansas, Nebraska
Tributaries
- left	North Fork Republican River
- right	South Fork Republican River
Source
- location	Dundy County, Nebraska
- coordinates	40°2′30″N 101°31′17″W / 40.04167°N 101.52139°W / 40.04167; -101.52139 [1]
Mouth	Kansas River
- location	Geary County, Kansas
- coordinates	39°3′36″N 96°48′5″W / 39.06°N 96.80139°W / 39.06; -96.80139 [2]
Map of the Republican River and its tributaries

The Republican River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, flowing through the U.S. states of Nebraska and Kansas.

Geography

Republican River drainage basin

The Republican River is formed by the confluence of the North Fork Republican River and South Fork Republican River immediately southeast of Benkelman, Nebraska in Dundy County. Both forks originate in the High Plains of northeastern Colorado.^[1][3] From the confluence, the river flows generally eastward along the southern border of Nebraska, passing through Swanson Reservoir and Harlan County Reservoir before curving southward into the Smoky Hills region of Kansas. The Republican River joins the Smoky Hill River at Junction City, Kansas to form the Kansas River.

Some cities along the river are McCook, Nebraska, Concordia, Kansas and Junction City, Kansas. Near Concordia is the Republican River Pegram Truss, a bridge that goes over the Republican River that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

The river was named after a branch of Pawnee Indians known as "the Republicans" (Stewart 1967:223).^[4] Allocation of the water from the Republican River is governed through an agreement called the Republican River Compact, involving the states of Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado.

Major flooding

July 1902

On July 9, 1902, the river flooded near Concordia, breaking a dam and re-routing the river by 1/4 of a mile.^[5]

May/June 1935

The storm of May 31/June 1 (called "Nebraska's Deadliest Flood") dumped an average rainfall of nine inches on the river's watershed. This storm was also unique in that it moved in the same direction as the drainage basin. As a result, the Frenchman, Red Willow, Medicine, Deer, Muddy, and Turkey creeks all reached their flood peaks at the same time as the crest passed on the Republican River.

According to witness accounts, the roar of the water could be heard coming down the Republican Valley five miles away. Many survivors also reported that there were two crests - the water came up on May 28, then receded slightly, but the second crest on June 1 greatly exceeded the first. At one point, the water rose six feet in thirty minutes and was ten to fifteen feet higher than the previous record crest. Another account states that the Republican rose 10 feet in 12 minutes in McCook; naturally, anything in the path of that wall of water would be destroyed. Water was twenty feet deep in some places, and the discharge was an incredible 280,000 cubic feet/second - more than 320 times the normal flow today.

Estimates show 113 people killed. over 11,400 to 41,500 head of cattle were killedwith one report stating that carcasses littered roads as to make them impassable. 341 miles of highway and 307 bridges were destroyed with 74,500 acres of farmland were inundated.^[6]

Popular culture

The river is mentioned as a landmark in the Chapter 30 of the book Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne.^[7]

June 24, 1947 flood of the Republican River on the border of Jewell County, Kansas and Republic County, Kansas near Hardy, Nebraska and Webber, Kansas, just south of Nebraska NE-8 on Kansas 1 Rd/CR-1 bridge over the Republican River. The normal flood stage for the river is at the tree line in the foreground.

See also

• List of Kansas rivers
• List of Nebraska rivers

References

External links

• State of Colorado's Republican River Webpage
• State of Kansas' Republican River Webpage
• State of Nebraska's Republican River Webpage

Coordinates: 39°3′36″N 96°48′5″W / 39.06°N 96.80139°W / 39.06; -96.80139