Waconda Lake
| Waconda Lake | |
|---|---|
|
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| Location | Mitchell and Osborne counties in Kansas |
| Coordinates | 39°29′27″N 98°22′22″W / 39.49083°N 98.37278°WCoordinates: 39°29′27″N 98°22′22″W / 39.49083°N 98.37278°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | North Fork Solomon River, South Fork Solomon River |
| Primary outflows | Solomon River |
| Catchment area | 2,559 sq mi (6,630 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Managing agency | U.S. Bureau of Reclamation |
| Built | November 1964 |
| First flooded | January 1969 |
| Max. length | 24 miles (39 km) |
| Surface area | 12,602 acres (51.00 km2) |
| Max. depth | 55 feet (17 m) |
| Water volume |
Full: 219,420 acre·ft (270,650,000 m3) Current (Nov. 2015): 214,784 acre·ft (264,932,000 m3) |
| Shore length1 | 100 mi (160 km) |
| Surface elevation |
Full: 1,456 ft (444 m) Current (Nov. 2015): 1,455 ft (443 m) |
| Settlements | Cawker City, Glen Elder |
| References | |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Waconda Lake, also known as Glen Elder Reservoir, is a reservoir in Mitchell County and Osborne County, Kansas, United States. Built and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for flood control and irrigation, it is also used for recreation. Glen Elder State Park is located on its north shore.
Prior to the building of Glen Elder Dam, the present-day site of Waconda Lake was the location of Waconda Spring, a natural flowing artesian well. To capitalize on it, the Cawker City Mineral Company opened a resort on the site in 1904. In 1907, G.F. Abraham of Mankato, Kansas converted the resort into a health spa.
Part of the Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944, Glen Elder Dam was one of six units in the Smoky Hill River basin specified as necessary for flood control and irrigation. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation began purchasing rights-of-way in June 1963 and started constructing the dam and Waconda Lake in November 1964. Despite efforts to preserve Waconda Spring as a national monument, the health spa was torn down, and, in 1968, the spring itself was sealed. Construction finished in January 1969, and the spring was submerged beneath the new reservoir.
Finding the Solomon River inadequate as a municipal water supply, the nearby city of Beloit, Kansas successfully requested use of Waconda Lake. In addition, the reservoir went on to provide water to three rural districts. In November 1976, the Kansas State Board of Agriculture approved Glen Elder Irrigation District-No. 8, enabling use of the reservoir for irrigation.
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Wikipedia