Kansas
Welcome to the Midcontinent Region! Our region includes 18 Science Centers in 11 States from the Great Lakes to the Dakotas. Our streamgage network is used to monitor and assess water resources across the region. Other research focuses on fisheries and aquatic ecosystems, midcontinental plant/animal species, invasive species, wildlife disease, and energy and mining.
News
Central Plains Water Science Center Quarterly Newsletter - June 2026
Central Plains Water Science Center Quarterly Newsletter - June 2026
The Central Plains Water Science Center Presents: Science Seminar Series - June 2026
The Central Plains Water Science Center Presents: Science Seminar Series - June 2026
Central Plains Water Science Center Quarterly Newsletter - March 2026
Central Plains Water Science Center Quarterly Newsletter - March 2026
Publications
Flood-inundation maps of the Blue River and major tributaries in and near Kansas City, Missouri, 2023–25 Flood-inundation maps of the Blue River and major tributaries in and near Kansas City, Missouri, 2023–25
Digital flood-inundation maps for 35.5 miles of the Blue River, in and near Kansas City, Missouri, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Kansas City. Maps were also developed for a combined 7.3 miles of Brush Creek (4.4 miles) and Indian Creek (2.9 miles), two primary tributaries to the Blue River in the study reach. The flood-inundation maps...
Potential flood events in the lower Missouri River basin over multiple centuries identified using tree-ring based multi-model streamflow reconstructions Potential flood events in the lower Missouri River basin over multiple centuries identified using tree-ring based multi-model streamflow reconstructions
The Missouri River basin (MRB), the largest river basin in the United States, presents major water management challenges due to its complex topology and extensive infrastructure designed to manage high annual flows. Severe hydroclimatic events, particularly floods in 1993, 2011, and 2019, have highlighted vulnerabilities, leading the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to enhance flood risk...
Hydrogeologic framework and conceptual groundwater-flow model of the panhandle and northwest parts of the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer in Oklahoma, 1998–2022 Hydrogeologic framework and conceptual groundwater-flow model of the panhandle and northwest parts of the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer in Oklahoma, 1998–2022
This study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, to update the hydrogeologic framework and conceptual flow model for the panhandle and northwest parts of the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer in Oklahoma, which together compose the Ogallala aquifer focus area. The study included the construction of a potentiometric surface, and...
Science
Algal and Environmental Toxins Research Laboratory — Lawrence, Kansas
About the Laboratory The Environmental Health Program collaborates with scientists at the Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL) in Lawrence, Kansas, to develop and employ targeted and non-targeted analytical methods for identification and quantitation of known and understudied algal/cyanobacterial toxins. The laboratory contructed in 2019 is a 2,500 square foot modern laboratory facility...
Equus Beds Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Project
The water supply for the city of Wichita, south-central Kansas, currently comes from the Equus Beds aquifer and Cheney Reservoir. Because these sources are not expected to meet projected city water needs into the 21st century (Warren and others, 1995), artificial recharge of the Equus Beds aquifer was investigated as one alternative to meet future water-supply demands. An additional potential...
USGS Ecosystems Science in Support of Public Safety & Security
Science within the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area provides a critical advantage in addressing public safety, infrastructure, and security issues surrounding natural disasters and changing landscapes, strengthening America’s ability to be a hazard ready Nation.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Cooperative Research Units, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Environmental Health Program, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Drought, Wildland Fire Science