Smoky Hill

River flowing through Colorado and Kansas, USA; length 870 km/540 mi. It is formed by headstreams in eastern Colorado and flows east into Kansas, joining the Republican River at Junction City to form the Kansas River.

Course After forming near Cheyenne Wells, the river flows across the High Plains and through the Cedar Bluff Reservoir (1951), through the Smoky Hill Uplands, and through the Kanopolis Reservoir (1948). It turns north at Lindsborg, then east at Salina. Just east of Salina the Saline River joins it from the west. The Solomon River, whose eastward course parallels the Smoky Hill's across much of northwestern Kansas, joins it at Solomon. Passing south of Abilene, the Smoky Hill continues northeastwards to the Republican.