Milford Lake
Encyclopedia
Milford Lake is the largest man-made lake
in Kansas
with 15700 acres (63.5 km²) of water. Over 33000 acres (133.5 km²) of land resources are managed for quality recreational experiences as well as for protection of the project’s natural and cultural resources. Approximately 70% of the land resources are available for public hunting
.
of 1954 to provide flood control
, water supply
, water quality
, navigation
, and recreation/wildlife
. Construction
of the dam
began July 13, 1962 at mile 8.3 of the Republican River
. The dam consists of a rolled earth fill embankment of 15 million cubic yards with an uncontrolled spillway
on the right bank. The term "uncontrolled" refers to the lack of spillway gates such as those at Tuttle Creek Lake
in Manhattan, Kansas
.
Many contractors were involved with the project during the construction phase. Contractors built new roads and altered existing roadways, and relocated railroad facilities, city owned facilities in Wakefield
and Milford
, electrical, telephone, and gas lines
, and cemeteries. They also built recreation areas and cleared structures from within the reservoir flood pool. The towns of Alida and Broughton ceased to exist, with houses either moved to other locations, razed, burned, or buried.
The town of Alida had a major clearing contract for the removal of the Alida Cooperative grain elevator
. Originally a local chiropractor
sought to gain permission to develop the grain elevator into a hotel with a restaurant. Corps of Engineers studies showed that the base of the elevator would not support the structure after the lake inundated it. According to local newspaper
articles, it took six separate blasts over a two-day period to bring the elevator down.
Broughton had two railroads that came through the town, the Rock Island
from the east and the Union Pacific
from the southeast. The town had a stockyard, grain elevator, Post Office
, school
, church, telephone exchange
, grocery store, private homes, and a blacksmith
’s shop under a large cottonwood tree. According to a local newspaper article, many men who lived in the area worked for the railroads. Even though the town is gone, an annual Broughton picnic is held for those who still remember.
Portions of the towns of Wakefield and Milford were relocated to higher ground. Farms were dismantled and trees were removed from areas soon to be covered by the lake waters.
Impoundment of the lake began January 16, 1967 and six months later on July 13, the multipurpose pool elevation of 1144.4 mean sea level was reached. Milford Lake’s dedication ceremony was held in May 1968. Lyndon Johnson, then President of the United States
, was scheduled to appear but did not come.
Over the course of the last 34 years the Milford Lake Project has provided over $921 million in flood prevention, with $250 million during the 1993 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 1992 – Sept. 30, 1993). The initial cost of construction of the dam and reservoir was approximately $49,700,000.
of long ago talked of a great flood in 1781. However, the 1849 flood was one of the first major floods reported by early European settlers. A newspaper account tells of an old man who as a youth was an eyewitness
to the 1849 flood. He reported immense herds of buffalo
being drowned and washed up into the tops of trees along the rivers. Due to a heavy frost
immediately following, the buffalo carcasses were preserved long enough for the flood survivors to eat well until the spring thaw. In the spring when the carcasses began to rot, it was suspected that they were the cause of a cholera
outbreak.
The flood of 1869 caused a major loss of life. Reports were given of entire families being washed away while a few survivors clung to the tops of trees for hours, hoping to be saved. One story told of an infant
who was tied up in a man’s shirt, and then tied to a tree surrounded by water to await rescue. Due to the swift current, nearby rescuers unable to take action were forced to listen to the child’s cries for 5 hours. Finally, when they were able to come back in a boat to rescue the child, it took all the extra men available to hold a rope tied to the boat to keep the boat from swamping and being washed away.
The 1935 flood had the highest combined flow ever recorded for the Republican and Smokey Hill
rivers. These two rivers meet within the city limits of Junction City, Kansas
and form the Kansas River
. Hours before, a cloudburst had occurred at McCook, Nebraska
sending a wall of water down the Republican River. At Milford, Kansas eight boxcars were turned over and the Union Pacific Depot was washed off its site. Near Alida, Kansas the Republican River cut a new channel north of town. After the floodwater receded there was talk of trying to straighten the river channel.
The 1951 flood was the last great flood before the Milford Dam was built in the early 1960s. It reportedly caused $6,500,000 in flood damages. This was the combined total of damages from Ft. Riley and Junction City. After the 1951 disaster, the local newspapers were filled with articles requesting the federal government to intercede and build dams along the Republican, Smokey Hill, and Big Blue
rivers.
for several months, and the ground was saturated, unable to soak up the continuing rainfall. Rivers and levees were holding the rising waters in check, but they were completely full. It continued to rain. Lakes along the upper and lower Missouri River Basin
closed their gates so as not to add to the flooding that was beginning further downstream. The rain continued until finally the rivers, levees, and lakes could hold no more and the Great Flood of 1993 went underway, with flooding of a magnitude not seen since 1951.
The Milford Dam was built to protect the Kansas River Basin. Waters from Milford Lake enter the Kansas River at Junction City, which in turn flows into the Missouri River
at Kansas City
. The Missouri River then empties into the Mississippi River
, which transports Milford Lake waters to the Gulf of Mexico
. After holding floodwaters back for weeks at the Milford Dam, and upon reaching a lake elevation 32 feet (9.8 m) above normal, the focus on flood protection changed to that of protecting the dam structures. All additional waters, which flowed in, had to be released. On July 19, 1993 the gates in the dam were fully opened to release water at a rate of 22500 cuft/s. Rain continued to fall in the area and the lake continued to rise until water began to flow through the uncontrolled spillway. The design of the spillway controls the flow of the water, eventually directing it back into the river channel below the dam. The spillway is similar to an overflow drain in a bathtub. Water flows out of the spillway to prevent overtopping the dam.
For two weeks water flowed through the spillway to a maximum depth of 6 feet (1.8 m). The continuous rush of water removed tons of soil, numerous trees, and a portion of the 244 Spur Highway
. Pooling waters from the spillway flow also threatened to damage U.S. Highway 77. To protect the U.S. highway, a culvert
was intentionally breached on State Highway 57 to allow the pooling floodwaters to drain back into the Republican River channel. Throughout the entire flood, the dam performed as designed and held floodwaters back, lessening the downstream flood damage. During the highest release of water through the dam, 22500 cuft/s which lasted for approximately 10 hours, the riverbank channel immediately below the dam suffered some erosion
damage. In the winter of 1996/7, repairs were made to the damaged channel below the dam. To prevent future damage during extremely high releases, the river channel was dropped 12 feet (3.7 m) in elevation by excavation. The removed rock was used to create a berm
across the south bank washout. The channel banks were re-graded, re-rocked, and re-grouted.
In 1930 a local amateur archeologist did a small amount of digging at the Bogan Site. He misidentified the legal description of the location of the site, leaving it "lost" until 1964 when the Milford Lake Project was underway. In 1964, the University of Nebraska, Laboratory of Anthropology tested the site. Then in 1967, the Kansas Historical Society's
archeological division further investigated the site. This was the last archeological study done at the Bogan Site.
The 1967 investigation led to the discovery that the village had been completely destroyed by a fire. Even the fortification, or palisade, was burned. Originally the fortification was built by setting posts vertically in a trench around the village. The trench was filled with dirt, stabilizing the posts.
One house was excavated. The floor of the house was covered with a coating of clay. Posts, which supported the walls and the roof, were set in three circles. The inner circle had 6 posts, the middle circle had 28 posts, and the outer circle had 60 posts.
The dwelling was 44 feet (13.4 m) in diameter. The framework of each house was covered with willows, thatched grass, and covered with sod. Evidence from the other two house sites indicates that they were burned as well.
81 artifacts were recovered from the Bogan Site. Six are on display in the Milford Visitor Center.
It is plausible that the village was abandoned before it was completely occupied. This explains the size of the fortification and the fact that there were only three houses built. Building a fortification took lots of work and extreme effort on the part of the laborers. Trees were not abundant during this time period in Kansas, so man and horsepower probably transported the trees used to build the fortification and houses over long distances.
At the time of the Bogan Site, Kansa Indians had emigrated to Kansas and were fearful enemies of the Pawnee. It is unknown whether the native Kansa burnt the village or it was destroyed by a prairie wildfire.
No evidence was found of food stored in storage caches, and there were few recovered artifacts. The Pawnee may have already abandoned the village site or may have simply been gone on one of their far ranging hunts and taken all items of value with them at the time of the destruction of the village.
The Bogan Site is the third Pawnee village site found along the Republican River. The other two are the Kansas Monument Site (a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) site near Republic, KS) and the Hill Site (a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) site near Red Cloud, NE).
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
with 15700 acres (63.5 km²) of water. Over 33000 acres (133.5 km²) of land resources are managed for quality recreational experiences as well as for protection of the project’s natural and cultural resources. Approximately 70% of the land resources are available for public hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
.
Project History
The construction of Milford Lake was authorized by the Flood Control ActFlood Control Act
There are multiple laws known as the Flood Control Act. Typically, they are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers:-List of Flood Control Acts:*Flood Control Act of 1917...
of 1954 to provide flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
, water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
, water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
, navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, and recreation/wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
. Construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
of the dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
began July 13, 1962 at mile 8.3 of the Republican River
Republican River
The Republican River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, flowing through the U.S. states of Nebraska and Kansas.-Geography:...
. The dam consists of a rolled earth fill embankment of 15 million cubic yards with an uncontrolled spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
on the right bank. The term "uncontrolled" refers to the lack of spillway gates such as those at Tuttle Creek Lake
Tuttle Creek Lake
Tuttle Creek Lake is a reservoir on the Big Blue River 5 miles north of Manhattan, in the Flint Hills region of northeast Kansas. It was built and is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers for the purpose of flood control....
in Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
.
Many contractors were involved with the project during the construction phase. Contractors built new roads and altered existing roadways, and relocated railroad facilities, city owned facilities in Wakefield
Wakefield, Kansas
Wakefield is a city in Clay County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 980.-Geography:Wakefield is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 838...
and Milford
Milford, Kansas
Milford is a city in Geary County, Kansas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 530. It is part of the Manhattan, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Milford is located at...
, electrical, telephone, and gas lines
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
, and cemeteries. They also built recreation areas and cleared structures from within the reservoir flood pool. The towns of Alida and Broughton ceased to exist, with houses either moved to other locations, razed, burned, or buried.
The town of Alida had a major clearing contract for the removal of the Alida Cooperative grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
. Originally a local chiropractor
Chiropractor
A Chiropractor, according to the Association of Chiropractic Colleges , "focuses on the relationship between the body's main structures – the skeleton, the muscles and the nerves – and the patient's health. Chiropractors believe that health can be improved and preserved by making adjustments to...
sought to gain permission to develop the grain elevator into a hotel with a restaurant. Corps of Engineers studies showed that the base of the elevator would not support the structure after the lake inundated it. According to local newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
articles, it took six separate blasts over a two-day period to bring the elevator down.
Broughton had two railroads that came through the town, the Rock Island
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
from the east and the Union Pacific
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
from the southeast. The town had a stockyard, grain elevator, Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, church, telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
, grocery store, private homes, and a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
’s shop under a large cottonwood tree. According to a local newspaper article, many men who lived in the area worked for the railroads. Even though the town is gone, an annual Broughton picnic is held for those who still remember.
Portions of the towns of Wakefield and Milford were relocated to higher ground. Farms were dismantled and trees were removed from areas soon to be covered by the lake waters.
Impoundment of the lake began January 16, 1967 and six months later on July 13, the multipurpose pool elevation of 1144.4 mean sea level was reached. Milford Lake’s dedication ceremony was held in May 1968. Lyndon Johnson, then President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, was scheduled to appear but did not come.
Over the course of the last 34 years the Milford Lake Project has provided over $921 million in flood prevention, with $250 million during the 1993 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 1992 – Sept. 30, 1993). The initial cost of construction of the dam and reservoir was approximately $49,700,000.
Flood History
The years 1849, 1869, 1903, 1935, 1951, and 1993 all hosted record setting historical floods for the area. A flood has occurred almost every year since the first recorded flood.Before the Milford Dam
Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
of long ago talked of a great flood in 1781. However, the 1849 flood was one of the first major floods reported by early European settlers. A newspaper account tells of an old man who as a youth was an eyewitness
Eyewitness
Eyewitness may refer to:*Witness, someone who has knowledge about a crime or dramatic event through seeing it firsthand*Eyewitness , natural history television series*Eyewitness *Eyewitness...
to the 1849 flood. He reported immense herds of buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
being drowned and washed up into the tops of trees along the rivers. Due to a heavy frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
immediately following, the buffalo carcasses were preserved long enough for the flood survivors to eat well until the spring thaw. In the spring when the carcasses began to rot, it was suspected that they were the cause of a cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
outbreak.
The flood of 1869 caused a major loss of life. Reports were given of entire families being washed away while a few survivors clung to the tops of trees for hours, hoping to be saved. One story told of an infant
Infant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
who was tied up in a man’s shirt, and then tied to a tree surrounded by water to await rescue. Due to the swift current, nearby rescuers unable to take action were forced to listen to the child’s cries for 5 hours. Finally, when they were able to come back in a boat to rescue the child, it took all the extra men available to hold a rope tied to the boat to keep the boat from swamping and being washed away.
The 1935 flood had the highest combined flow ever recorded for the Republican and Smokey Hill
Smoky Hill River
The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through the U.S. states of Colorado and Kansas.-Names:The Smoky Hill gets its name from the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas through which it flows...
rivers. These two rivers meet within the city limits of Junction City, Kansas
Junction City, Kansas
Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,353. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby...
and form the Kansas River
Kansas River
The Kansas River is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwestern-most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwestern-most portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its name come from the Kanza people who once inhabited the area...
. Hours before, a cloudburst had occurred at McCook, Nebraska
McCook, Nebraska
McCook is a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Red Willow County...
sending a wall of water down the Republican River. At Milford, Kansas eight boxcars were turned over and the Union Pacific Depot was washed off its site. Near Alida, Kansas the Republican River cut a new channel north of town. After the floodwater receded there was talk of trying to straighten the river channel.
The 1951 flood was the last great flood before the Milford Dam was built in the early 1960s. It reportedly caused $6,500,000 in flood damages. This was the combined total of damages from Ft. Riley and Junction City. After the 1951 disaster, the local newspapers were filled with articles requesting the federal government to intercede and build dams along the Republican, Smokey Hill, and Big Blue
Big Blue River (Kansas)
The Big Blue River is the largest tributary of the Kansas River. The river flows for approximately from central Nebraska into Kansas, where it intersects with the Kansas River east of Manhattan. It was given its name by the Kansa tribe of Native Americans, who lived at its mouth from 1780 to...
rivers.
With the Milford Dam
The flood of 1993 was the first major flood to occur after the Milford Lake Dam was built. Many locals involved with fighting the flood agree that 1993 would have been much worse than the 1951 flood without the protection offered by the Milford Dam. Although flooding could not be completely stopped, the dam system and other flood protection work lessened the loss of life and property. In 1993, well above average rainfalls had been taking place throughout the entire MidwestMidwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
for several months, and the ground was saturated, unable to soak up the continuing rainfall. Rivers and levees were holding the rising waters in check, but they were completely full. It continued to rain. Lakes along the upper and lower Missouri River Basin
Missouri River Valley
The Missouri River Valley outlines the journey of the Missouri River from its headwaters where the Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin Rivers flow together in Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri. At long the valley drains one-sixth of the United States, and is...
closed their gates so as not to add to the flooding that was beginning further downstream. The rain continued until finally the rivers, levees, and lakes could hold no more and the Great Flood of 1993 went underway, with flooding of a magnitude not seen since 1951.
The Milford Dam was built to protect the Kansas River Basin. Waters from Milford Lake enter the Kansas River at Junction City, which in turn flows into the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
at Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The Missouri River then empties into the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, which transports Milford Lake waters to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. After holding floodwaters back for weeks at the Milford Dam, and upon reaching a lake elevation 32 feet (9.8 m) above normal, the focus on flood protection changed to that of protecting the dam structures. All additional waters, which flowed in, had to be released. On July 19, 1993 the gates in the dam were fully opened to release water at a rate of 22500 cuft/s. Rain continued to fall in the area and the lake continued to rise until water began to flow through the uncontrolled spillway. The design of the spillway controls the flow of the water, eventually directing it back into the river channel below the dam. The spillway is similar to an overflow drain in a bathtub. Water flows out of the spillway to prevent overtopping the dam.
For two weeks water flowed through the spillway to a maximum depth of 6 feet (1.8 m). The continuous rush of water removed tons of soil, numerous trees, and a portion of the 244 Spur Highway
K-244 (Kansas highway)
K-244 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. K-244 is a five-mile east and west road that serves Milford Lake in north-central Kansas.K-244 begins at US-77 and K-57 just west of Junction City. It has a short concurrency with K-57...
. Pooling waters from the spillway flow also threatened to damage U.S. Highway 77. To protect the U.S. highway, a culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
was intentionally breached on State Highway 57 to allow the pooling floodwaters to drain back into the Republican River channel. Throughout the entire flood, the dam performed as designed and held floodwaters back, lessening the downstream flood damage. During the highest release of water through the dam, 22500 cuft/s which lasted for approximately 10 hours, the riverbank channel immediately below the dam suffered some erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
damage. In the winter of 1996/7, repairs were made to the damaged channel below the dam. To prevent future damage during extremely high releases, the river channel was dropped 12 feet (3.7 m) in elevation by excavation. The removed rock was used to create a berm
Berm
A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.- History :...
across the south bank washout. The channel banks were re-graded, re-rocked, and re-grouted.
Inhabitants Before 1800
The Milford Lake region for the most part has been consistently inhabited. Areas with an abundance of food (both wildlife and plant life), constant water supply, moderate climate, and diverse topography have been attracting mankind throughout the ages. This is a breakdown of the people living in the Milford Lake region before the 1800s.- Paleo-Indians (Big game hunters) 8,000 – 10,000 years ago
- Archaic Indians (Hunter/Gatherers) 0 – 6,000 BC
- Early Ceramic (Plains Woodland) Farmed native plants. In 200 AD "Kansas City residents" grew domesticated corn. 0 – 1000 AD
- Middle Ceramic (Village farmers) Beans, corn, squash introduced. At 1000 AD these people were the early ancestors of the Pawnee. 1000–1500 AD
- Late Ceramic (Kaw [Kansa] arrived) late 18th century and early 19th century, and the horse was introduced by the Spanish. The French named the Kansa Indians. A map dated 1784 shows a Kansa settlement at the existing Washington Street bridge in Junction City, Kansas. 1500–1800 AD
Bogan Site
Milford Lake has many recorded cultural sites both pre- and post-19th century on government lands. The one that stands out the most for its historical value is the Bogan Site. The Bogan Site was a small earthlodge village, constructed and inhabited by the Republican River Pawnee Indians. The site was most likely inhabited during the late 18th and possibly early 19th century. Due to the village’s small size and the number of artifacts recovered, the village was probably inhabited for only a short time. The village was built upon a prominent hilltop overlooking the Republican River valley, a good advantage point for defending the village from enemies. Enemies were prevalent in the area as a fortified wall surrounded the village.In 1930 a local amateur archeologist did a small amount of digging at the Bogan Site. He misidentified the legal description of the location of the site, leaving it "lost" until 1964 when the Milford Lake Project was underway. In 1964, the University of Nebraska, Laboratory of Anthropology tested the site. Then in 1967, the Kansas Historical Society's
Kansas Historical Society
The Kansas Historical Society is the official state historical society of Kansas.Headquartered in Topeka, it operates as "the trustee of the state" for the purpose of maintaining the state's history and operates the Kansas Museum of History, Kansas State Archives and Library, Kansas State Capitol...
archeological division further investigated the site. This was the last archeological study done at the Bogan Site.
The 1967 investigation led to the discovery that the village had been completely destroyed by a fire. Even the fortification, or palisade, was burned. Originally the fortification was built by setting posts vertically in a trench around the village. The trench was filled with dirt, stabilizing the posts.
One house was excavated. The floor of the house was covered with a coating of clay. Posts, which supported the walls and the roof, were set in three circles. The inner circle had 6 posts, the middle circle had 28 posts, and the outer circle had 60 posts.
The dwelling was 44 feet (13.4 m) in diameter. The framework of each house was covered with willows, thatched grass, and covered with sod. Evidence from the other two house sites indicates that they were burned as well.
81 artifacts were recovered from the Bogan Site. Six are on display in the Milford Visitor Center.
It is plausible that the village was abandoned before it was completely occupied. This explains the size of the fortification and the fact that there were only three houses built. Building a fortification took lots of work and extreme effort on the part of the laborers. Trees were not abundant during this time period in Kansas, so man and horsepower probably transported the trees used to build the fortification and houses over long distances.
At the time of the Bogan Site, Kansa Indians had emigrated to Kansas and were fearful enemies of the Pawnee. It is unknown whether the native Kansa burnt the village or it was destroyed by a prairie wildfire.
No evidence was found of food stored in storage caches, and there were few recovered artifacts. The Pawnee may have already abandoned the village site or may have simply been gone on one of their far ranging hunts and taken all items of value with them at the time of the destruction of the village.
The Bogan Site is the third Pawnee village site found along the Republican River. The other two are the Kansas Monument Site (a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) site near Republic, KS) and the Hill Site (a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) site near Red Cloud, NE).