Cheney Reservoir

Continuous real-time (hourly) and discrete water-quality data have been collected by the U.S Geological Survey at one station in Cheney Reservoir near the Cheney Dam since 2001. Continuously measured water-quality data include reservoir elevation, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and chlorophyll fluorescence. Discrete water-quality analyses over the life of the project include over 100 analytes ranging from nutrients to phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition.Cheney Reservoir, located in south-central Kansas, was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior, between 1962 and 1965. Cheney Reservoir has a contributing watershed of 2,416 square kilometers. Land use in the Cheney Reservoir watershed predominately is rural; less than 1 percent of the land use in the watershed is classified as urban. At a pool elevation of 433 meters, Cheney Reservoir has a maximum depth of 12.5 m, a mean depth of 5.1 m, and a surface area of about 40.1 square kilometers. Thermal and chemical stratification rarely happen in Cheney Reservoir, primarily because of the relatively shallow depths and persistent winds. Cheney Reservoir is eutrophic, and algal growth is likely light limited.Continuous and discrete water-quality data for Cheney Reservoir area available through the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System at: https://waterdata.usgs.govAdditional information about U.S. Geological Survey studies of Cheney Reservoir is available at: https://ks.water.usgs.gov/