Keya Paha River
| Keya Paha River | |
|---|---|
 Keya Paha River near Nebraska-South Dakota border | |
 Keya Paha River in light green at right center | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota, Nebraska |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Todd County, South Dakota |
| • coordinates | 43°13′38″N 100°23′18″W / 43.22722°N 100.38833°W[1] |
| Mouth | Niobrara River in Boyd County, Nebraska |
• coordinates | 42°53′54″N 98°59′6″W / 42.89833°N 98.98500°W[1] |
| Length | 127 mi (204 km) |
| Basin size | 1,710 sq mi (4,400 km2)[2] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | near Naper |
| • average | 139 cu/ft. per sec.[3] |
The Keya Paha River (/ˈkɪpəhɔː/ KIP-ə-haw)[4] is a river flowing 127 miles (204 km)[5] through the U.S. states of South Dakota and Nebraska.
The name is derived from the Dakota language ke'-ya pa-ha', meaning "turtle hill",[6] specifically Turtle Butte.[7] The river's name was given to Keya Paha County, Nebraska, through which it flows.[8]
The river originates in Todd County in south central South Dakota, at the confluence of Antelope Creek and Rock Creek near the town of Hidden Timber.[9] It flows in a generally southeasterly direction through Todd and Tripp counties in South Dakota and then through Keya Paha and Boyd counties in Nebraska.[1] It ends at its confluence with the Niobrara River about 7 miles (11 km) west of Butte, Nebraska.[10] The river has a year-round flow, except for winter ice, and has a quality of water better than all other South Dakota rivers.[11]
In 1861, the border between the Nebraska and Dakota territories followed the Keya Paha River from the 43rd parallel to the river's confluence with the Niobrara; it then followed the Niobrara to Missouri. This situation lasted until 1882 when the boundary was changed to follow the 43rd parallel all the way to Missouri;[12] the change added portions of Keya Paha and Boyd counties to Nebraska.[13]
Discharge
[edit]At a gaging station south of Naper in Boyd County, the river's mean discharge was 138.6 cubic feet per second (3.92 m3/s). The maximum mean annual discharge was 389.4 cubic feet per second (11.03 m3/s), recorded in 1962; the minimum mean annual discharge was 44.5 cubic feet per second (1.26 m3/s), recorded in 1976.[14] The peak flow recorded at that point was 9,280 cubic feet per second (263 m3/s), registered on July 1, 1962.[15] From July 22 to July 30, 1976, the discharge was recorded as zero.[16]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Keya Paha River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 1979-03-09. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- ^ Seaber, Paul R., F. Paul Kapinos, and George L. Knapp (1987). USGS Hydrologic Unit Maps. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2294. Cataloging unit 10150006, on p. 39. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- ^ "USGS Surface Water data for Nebraska: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics".
- ^ McNally, Hannah, and Diana Lambdin Meyer (1997). Nebraska: Off the Beaten Path. Morris Book Publishing LLC. p. 81.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed March 30, 2011
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925). "Keya Paha County". Nebraska Place-Names. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- ^ Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota place-names, v.3. American guide series. University of South Dakota. p. 4.
- ^ "Keya Paha History". Nebraska Association of County Officials. Archived 2010-06-05 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- ^ Carter, Janet M. (1998). "Water Resources of Mellette and Todd Counties, South Dakota". USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4146. Retrieved 2011-04-26. Map on p. 1.
- ^ Nebraska Atlas and Gazetteer. Freeport, Maine: Delorme. 3rd edition, 2005. p. 23.
- ^ Hogan, Edward Patrick; Fouberg, Erin Hogan (2001). The Geography of South Dakota (Third ed.). Sioux Falls, SD: The Center for Western Studies – Augustana College. ISBN 0-931170-79-6.
- ^ Visher, Stephen Sargent (1918). The Geography of South Dakota. p. 11.
- ^ Kay, John and Mary Findlay (1988). "Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey: Reconnaissance Survey Final Report of Boyd County, Nebraska".[usurped] Nebraska State Historical Society.[usurped] Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- ^ Calculated from mean annual values for years 1958–1994 inclusive, found at "USGS 06464900 Keya Paha River Near Naper, Nebr." USGS Water Data for the Nation. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- ^ Peak flows for years 1958—1994 inclusive, found at "Peak Streamflow for Nebraska: USGS 06464900 Keya Paha River Near Naper, Nebr." USGS Water Data for the Nation. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- ^ Daily data for July 1–August 31, 1976, found at "USGS 06464900 Keya Paha River Near Naper, Nebr." USGS Water Data for the Nation. Retrieved 2011-02-26.