The Keya Paha River ( ) is a river flowing U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map , accessed March 30, 2011 through the U.S. states of South Dakota and Nebraska.
The name is derived from the Dakota language ke'-ya pa-ha, meaning "turtle hill", specifically Turtle Butte. The river's name was given to Keya Paha County, Nebraska, through which it flows.
The river originates in Todd County in south central South Dakota, at the confluence of Antelope Creek and Rock Creek near the town of Hidden Timber. It flows in a generally southeasterly direction through Todd and Tripp counties in South Dakota and then through Keya Paha and Boyd counties in Nebraska. It ends at its confluence with the Niobrara River about west of Butte, Nebraska. The river has a year-round flow, except for winter ice, and has a quality of water better than all other South Dakota rivers.
In 1861, the border between the Nebraska and Dakota territories followed the Keya Paha River from the 43rd parallel to the river's confluence with the Niobrara; it then followed the Niobrara to Missouri. This situation lasted until 1882 when the boundary was changed to follow the 43rd parallel all the way to Missouri; the change added portions of Keya Paha and Boyd counties to Nebraska.
Discharge At a gaging station south of Naper in Boyd County, the river's mean discharge was . The maximum mean annual discharge was , recorded in 1962; the minimum mean annual discharge was , recorded in 1976. The peak flow recorded at that point was , registered on July 1, 1962. From July 22 to July 30, 1976, the discharge was recorded as zero.
See also
List of rivers of South Dakota List of rivers of Nebraska
References Kay, John and Mary Findlay (1988). Retrieved 2011-02-26.
Nebraska Atlas and Gazetteer. Freeport, Maine: Delorme. 3rd edition, 2005. p. 23.
"Keya Paha History". Nebraska Association of County Officials. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
Calculated from mean annual values for years 1958–1994 inclusive, found at "USGS 06464900 Keya Paha River Near Naper, Nebr." USGS Water Data for the Nation. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
Peak flows for years 1958—1994 inclusive, found at "Peak Streamflow for Nebraska: USGS 06464900 Keya Paha River Near Naper, Nebr." USGS Water Data for the Nation. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
Daily data for July 1–August 31, 1976, found at "USGS 06464900 Keya Paha River Near Naper, Nebr." USGS Water Data for the Nation. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925). "Keya Paha County". Nebraska Place-Names. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
McNally, Hannah, and Diana Lambdin Meyer (1997). Nebraska: Off the Beaten Path. Morris Book Publishing LLC. p. 81.
Visher, Stephen Sargent (1918). The Geography of South Dakota. p. 11.
Carter, Janet M. (1998). "Water Resources of Mellette and Todd Counties, South Dakota". USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4146. Retrieved 2011-04-26. Map on p. 1.
Seaber, Paul R., F. Paul Kapinos, and George L. Knapp (1987). USGS Hydrologic Unit Maps. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2294. Cataloging unit 10150006, on p. 39. Retrieved 2011-02-26.