MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
CHENEY LAKE, Kan. — Recent rainfall has brought a modest but welcome rise to Cheney Lake, a critical water reservoir in south-central Kansas. As of 8 a.m. Thursday, the lake’s water level stood at 1,414.94 feet, up nearly half a foot since Wednesday morning. That marks an improvement from earlier in the week, when levels held steady at 1,414.25 feet on both Tuesday and Wednesday. On Monday, the lake sat at 1,414.10 feet, and just one week ago on May 22, it measured 1,413.65 feet.
Despite the recent gains, Cheney Lake remains 6.66 feet below its normal conservation level.
Officials note that the lake is expected to continue rising as runoff from recent storms filters through the watershed. The Cheney Lake Watershed, which feeds the reservoir primarily through the North Fork Ninnescah River, spans 633,000 acres across five counties: Reno, Stafford, Pratt, Kingman, and Kiowa. Over 99% of the watershed is used for agriculture, making rainfall a key factor in both water supply and land management.
The man-made lake is also supplied by a network of smaller tributaries, including Silver Creek, Goose Creek, Wolf Creek, and Red Rock Creek, which are now helping boost inflows in response to the wet weather.
Though still far from full, the recent uptick in Cheney Lake’s level offers a hopeful sign for water managers and residents who rely on the reservoir for recreation, irrigation, and municipal water supply.