Big Creek (Kansas)

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox river

| name = Big Creek

| native_name =

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| image = Big Creek at Ellis KS.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption = Big Creek near Ellis, Kansas

| map =

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| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 = United States

| subdivision_type2 = State

| subdivision_name2 = Kansas

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| length_mi = 221

| width_min =

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| discharge1_min =

| discharge1_avg = {{convert|51|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}

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| source1 =

| source1_location = Gove County, Kansas

| source1_coordinates= {{coord|39|06|43|N|100|44|57|W|display=inline}}{{GNIS|471382|Big Creek}}

| source1_elevation = {{convert|2986|ft|abbr=on}}

| mouth = Smoky Hill River

| mouth_location = Russell County, Kansas

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|38|47|25|N|98|55|10|W|display=inline,title}}

| mouth_elevation = {{convert|1713|ft|abbr=on}}

| progression =

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| basin_size_mi2 = 862

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| custom_label = Watersheds

| custom_data = Big-Smoky Hill-Kansas-Missouri-Mississippi

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Big Creek is a {{convert|221|mi|km|adj=on}} 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.{{cite web|title=National Hydrography Dataset| publisher=United States Geological Survey| url=http://nhd.usgs.gov/ |accessdate=14 June 2011 |work=National Hydrography Dataset }}

Geography

Big Creek originates in the High Plains of northwestern Kansas. Its source lies in extreme northwestern Gove County. From there, it flows generally east-southeast through the Smoky Hills to its confluence with the Smoky Hill River in southwestern Russell County.{{cite web | title = 2003-2004 Official Transportation Map | publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation | year = 2003 | url = http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/2003-04Mapside.pdf | accessdate = 2014-06-22}}

In Ellis County, Kansas, Big Creek flows through the cities of Ellis and Hays. In Ellis, it is dammed to maintain a small reservoir, Big Creek Lake.{{cite web | title = Welcome to...Ellis, Kansas | publisher = City of Ellis, Kansas | url = http://www.ellis.ks.us/ | accessdate = 2014-06-22}}{{cite web | title = City of Ellis [Map] | publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation | date = June 2007 | url = http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/city-pdf/ellis.pdf | accessdate = 2014-06-22}} In Hays, the creek runs through the campus of Fort Hays State University.{{cite web | title = City of Hays [Map] | publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation | date = Dec 2009 | url = http://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burtransplan/maps/city-pdf/hays.pdf | accessdate = 2014-06-22}}

See also

References