Cheyenne Bottoms Refuge

The 19,857-acre Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area is part of a 41,000-acre natural land sink just northeast of Great Bend. During the 1940's and1950s, the State of Kansas acquired the land, and dikes were constructed to impound water in five pools. Canals and dams were built to divert water from the nearby Arkansas River and Wet Walnut Creek to supplement water provided by two intermittent streams, Blood and Deception creeks.During the 1990s, extensive renovation sub-divided some of the pools. In addition, pump stations were built to allow for increased management flexibility and water level manipulation. This renovation effort also provided increased water conservation to better meet wildlife needs during dry periods. Manipulation of water levels in the pools is a major tool in managing the marsh for water birds. Each year, one or more of the pools is drained as deemed necessary. Often these areas are seeded to millet and/or wheat and undesirable vegetation is controlled by burning, mowing and disking while the pools are dry. The photo below shows the current plant that is posing a threat to Cheyenne Bottoms. Phragmites is a wetland plant that, if left unchecked, can take over a marsh. It has even out competed cattail at Cheyenne Bottoms.