The North Fork Solomon River is a

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

in the central

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. Its entire length lies within the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. It is a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the

Solomon River The Solomon River, often referred to as the "Solomon Fork", is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 29, 2011 river in the central Great Plains of North America. The e ...

Geography

The North Fork Solomon River originates in the High Plains of northwest Kansas. Its source lies in west-central Thomas County roughly southeast of

Brewster, Kansas Brewster is a city in Thomas County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 291. History Brewster was named for L.D. Brewster, a railroad official. Brewster was a station and shipping point on the Chica ...

. From there, it flows generally east-northeast into the

Smoky Hills The Smoky Hills are an upland region of hills in the central Great Plains of North America. They are located in the Midwestern United States, encompassing north-central Kansas and a small portion of south-central Nebraska. The hills are a diss ...

region of north-central Kansas. Southeast of

Phillipsburg, Kansas Phillipsburg is a city in and the county seat of Phillips County, Kansas, Phillips County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 2,337. History Phillipsburg was organized in 1872 and named ...

, the river joins its tributary Bow Creek to feed

Kirwin Reservoir Kirwin Reservoir is a reservoir in Phillips County, Kansas, United States. It is located next to the city of Kirwin in northern Kansas. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built it and continues to operate it for the purposes of flood control and a ...

. From the reservoir's dam, the river flows east, then turns southeast near

Gaylord, Kansas Gaylord is a city in Smith County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 87. History Gaylord was founded in 1870. It was named for C. E. Gaylord, a native of Marshall County, who was one of the town's ...

. Immediately south of Cawker City in northwestern Mitchell County, the North Fork joins the

South Fork Solomon River The South Fork Solomon River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 29, 2011 river in the central Great Plains of North America. The entire length of the river lies i ...

to feed Waconda Lake.

History

In 1955, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation completed a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

on the river immediately south of

Kirwin, Kansas Kirwin is a city in Phillips County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 139. History Kirwin was founded in 1869. It was named for Col. John Kirwin, who commanded a stockade at the town site. Kirwin ...

for flood control, creating

References

{{authority control Rivers of Kansas

Geography

History

See also

References