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Big Creek (Kansas) facts for kids

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Big Creek
Country United States
State Kansas
Physical characteristics
Main source Gove County, Kansas
2,986 ft (910 m)
39°06′43″N 100°44′57″W / 39.11194°N 100.74917°W / 39.11194; -100.74917
River mouth Smoky Hill River
Russell County, Kansas
1,713 ft (522 m)
38°47′25″N 98°55′10″W / 38.79028°N 98.91944°W / 38.79028; -98.91944
Length 221 mi (356 km)
Basin features
Basin size 862 sq mi (2,230 km2)
Watersheds Big-Smoky Hill-Kansas-Missouri-Mississippi

Big Creek is a 221-mile (356 km) 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.

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.

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. In Hays, the creek runs through the campus of Fort Hays State University.

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