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, rl' ., lid Little Blue and Bi9 Blue River Basins Description. The Little Slue Riveroriginales m the Plains south of the Platte River in south. central NebraSka and flows in a southeasterly direction. entering Kansassoutheast of Fairbury, Nebraska. The river is sItuated between the Republican River and the Big Blue River, which it jOins in northern Kansas. Big Sandy Creek in the northern portion of the basin and Rose Creek in the Southern portion are the major tributaries. The land in the Little Blue River Basin is charact. erized by plains in the upper end of the basin and gently rolling hills in thecenlral part, with steeper slopes and bedrock outcroppings Occurring in the lower end of the basin. Most of the land in the basin is well suited for agriculture. The average annual preCipitation in this baSin ranges Irom approximately 24 inches in the upper end of the basin to 28 inches in the lower portion::11 Even though most of the precIpi- tation comes as rain during the growing season. irrigation IS generally required. Groundwater supplies are plentilul but not mexhaustible in the northern and western parts of the basin. Else- where. however. grOundwater sufficient 'or irrlga~ tion is dIfficult to obtam. The streamflow in the Little Blue River vanes considerably in response to precipitation but manages to main tam a fairly steady baseflow. There are approxImately one million acres suit- able for irrigation In the Little Blue basin.42 Of this amount. 13,300 aCres were Irrigated with surface water and 336.340 acres were irrigated With groundwater in 1975.43 WATER USE IN 197544 SURFACE WATER LITTLE BLUE Area Irrigated ACRES Total Amount of Water Used ACRE-FEET Average Amount of Water Used Per Acre ACRE.FEET/ACRE GROUNDWATER Area Irrigated ACRES Total Amt. of Water Used ACRE.FEET Ave. Amt. of Water Used Per Acre ACRE-FEET/ACRE 13.300 1.00 13.300 The Big Blue RIver Basin lies to the east ot the Little Blue River and also drains into Kansas. It extends along the northern and eastern Portion of the basin. Lincoln Creek. the West Fork of the Big Blue River, and Turkey Creek drain the west. ern reaches olthe basin and empty into the Big Blue River along the eastern edge. The upper part 01 the basin is comprised 01 plains underlain by a plentiful supply of ground- water. The central portion is made up of dissect. ed tablelands with rather narrow main stream 336.340 447.300 1.33 channels bordered by wide high terraces. The lower part of the basin contains both dissected tablelands and rolling hills With only limited supplies of groundwater available. Ollhe approximately 2,796.000 acres suitable 'or agricultural use, slIghtly over two million acres have been classified as sUitable for irrigation.45 The average annual precipitation IS approxi. mately 30 inches and Supplemental irrigatIon is alien used46 WATER USE IN 1975" BIG BLUE SURFACE WATER Area Irrigated ACRES - 40.300 Total Amount of Water Used ACRE-FEET 40.300 Average Amount of Water Used Per Acre ACRE.FEET/ACRE 1.00 GROUNOWATER Area Irrigated ACRES 949.940 Total AmI. of Water Used ACRE'FEET 1.263.400 Ave. Amt. of Water Used Per Acre ACRE-FEET/ACRE 1.33 ,,23