river in Nebraska and Kansas in the United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Big Blue River is the biggest tributary of the Kansas River. The river is about 359 miles (578 km) long.[2] It goes from central Nebraska into Kansas, until its confluence with the Kansas River at Manhattan.
Big Blue River Great Blue Earth River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Nebraska, Kansas |
Region | Great Plains |
Cities | Manhattan, KS, Beatrice, NE, Crete, NE, Seward, NE |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
- location | Near Aurora, NE, Great Plains, United States |
- coordinates | 40°57′00″N 098°04′31″W[1] |
Mouth | Kansas River |
- location | Near Manhattan, Great Plains, United States |
- coordinates | 39°11′17″N 096°31′40″W[1] |
Length | 359 mi (578 km), South[2] |
Discharge | |
- location | Manhattan, KS[3] |
- average | 982 cu ft/s (27.8 m3/s)[3] |
- minimum | 8 cu ft/s (0.23 m3/s) |
- maximum | 18,000 cu ft/s (510 m3/s) |
Basin features | |
River system | Kansas River watershed |
Tributaries | |
- left | Little Blue River, West Fork of the Little Blue River |
Its name was given from the Kansa tribe of Native Americans. They lived at its mouth from 1780 to 1830. They called it the Great Blue Earth River.
The river goes through mostly agricultural land.[4] Big towns on the river include: Manhattan, Kansas, Beatrice, Nebraska; Crete, Nebraska; and Seward, Nebraska.
Nebraska and Kansas have an agreement on who gets to use the water. Nebraska has full use of the river's water. However, from May 1 to September 30, Nebraska must allow a certain amount to go into Kansas.[5] There has been no shortage of water in the river.