Delaware River (Kansas)

Delaware River
River
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Part of	Kansas River watershed
Source
- location	Northeast Nemaha County, Kansas, United States
- elevation	827 ft (252 m)
- coordinates	39°55′40″N 095°50′15″W / 39.92778°N 95.83750°W / 39.92778; -95.83750
Mouth	Kansas River
- location	Near Perry, Kansas, United States
- elevation	252 ft (77 m)
- coordinates	39°03′33″N 095°23′52″W / 39.05917°N 95.39778°W / 39.05917; -95.39778Coordinates: 39°03′33″N 095°23′52″W / 39.05917°N 95.39778°W / 39.05917; -95.39778
Length	94 mi (151 km), North-South
Kansas City metropolitan rivers with the Delaware in the northwest

The Delaware River (originally called the Grasshopper River) is a 94-mile-long (151 km) river located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas. The Delaware River basin drains 1,117 square miles (2,890 km²) from the outflow of the Perry Lake reservoir. The river has been classified as a Category 1 watershed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, meaning that the watershed is in need of immediate restoration and protection. The river is one of the major tributaries of the Kansas River.

The Delaware River rises west of Sabetha, Kansas in Nemaha County. The river's course is generally southeast through the counties of Nemaha, Brown, Jackson, Atchison, and Jefferson in northeast Kansas. The Delaware passes through The Kickapoo Nation Reservation and is an important river for the tribe. Some of its main tributaries include Grasshopper Creek, Muddy Creek, Elk Creek, Straight Creek, Cedar Creek and Rock Creek. The Delaware's course takes it through rich farmland and this gives the river's water a very muddy appearance. Just south of Valley Falls the river enters Perry Lake, a man made reservoir to control flooding. It then enters the Kansas River just north of Lecompton, Kansas. Some cities within 10 miles (16 km) of the river include, Sabetha, Fairview, Powhattan, Horton, Whiting, Muscotah, Holton, Valley Falls, Ozawkie, Perry, and Lecompton, Kansas.