Shawnee County

Shawnee County government website0578
Population size: 170,748
Square miles: 545
Population density: 313 per sq mi
County History

Detailed information is available from the River Inventory for Shawnee County


View Kansas River Inventory-Shawnee County in a larger map. Click for help with maps. 

Silver Lake – River Mile 97

Population size: 1,380
Square miles: 0.55
Population density: equivalent to 2,509 people per sq mi

Upper Kansas River Watershed HUC 10270101

Upper Kansas River Watershed HUC 10270101

Boat access: Topeka Coffer Dam at river mile 87.7

Dredge sites/Off river pit mines:  There are no in-river dredge permits east of Topeka and Kansas Sand and Concrete operates an off river pit mine across the river from Silver Lake.

Bridges: Willard Bridge at river mile 101.9, US Highway 75 Bridge at river mile 88.6

Wastewater treatment: Silver Lake WWTP (Pop. served: 1,311)

Topeka – River Mile 90-77

Topeka City government website
Population size: 122,642
Square miles: 56
Population density: 2,190 people per sq mi

Watershed: Middle Kansas River HUC number 10270102

Boat access points: Topeka Coffer Dam at river mile 88.3, Kaw River State at river mile 89.7, & Seward Ave River Access

Bridges over Kaw from west to east: Westgate/ US Highway 75 Bridge at river mile 88.6, Topeka Ave. Bridge at river mile 85.2, Kansas Ave. Bridge at river mile 84.9, Sardou Bridge at river mile 83.7, Oakland Expressway Bridge/ KS Highway 4 at river mile 80.5

Wastewater treatment: Oakland WWTP (Pop. served 77,484; 233-4774, water division 368-3821); North Topeka WWTP (Pop. served: 45,080)

Water source: Surface water from the Kansas River (more information)

Dredge sites/off river pit mines: Victory Sand and Gravel owned by Meier’s Ready Mix  operates an in-river dredge at river mile 77.1 -78.6 and has several pit mines east of Topeka in Shawnee County.  Kansas Sand and Concrete has a pit mine near the Kaw north of I-70 on Valencia Road.   Three in-river dredge sites were in 2006 on the Kaw in the city of Topeka because of unacceptable degradation to the riverbed (lowering of the bed of more that 2’ in a five year period).

Wastewater Treatment: North Topeka WWTP (Pop. served: 45,080); Oakland WWTP (Pop. served: 77,484)

Tecumseh Township (Topeka Metro Area) – River Mile 76

Population size: 7,822

Watershed: Middle Kansas River HUC number 10270102

Boat access points: Seward Ave River Access at river mile 77

River dredges/Off river pit mines: There are no in-river dredge operations or off river pit mines between the access at Seward Avenue and Lawrence.

Low Head Dam at Tecumseh Power Plant: The low head dam at the Tecumseh Power Plant is at river mile 76 and is 1 mile down river from the Seward Access Ramp east of Topeka. At high water levels a canoe or kayak will float over the dam, but in normal to low water levels there is passage in the middle of the river near a rocky sand bar. You should always approach this area slowly to access the passage. Passage is not advisable for motorized boats.

Power plants: Tecumseh Energy Center river mile 76

Willard – River Mile 102

Population size: 84
Square miles: 0.11
Population density: equivalent to 764 people per sq mi

Watershed: Middle Kansas River HUC number 10270102
Boat access points: Topeka Coffer Dam at river mile 87.7, Access planned at Maple Hill Bridge at river mile 106.8
Bridges over Kaw: Willard Bridge at river mile 101.9

Dredge sites/off river mining pits: Kansas Sand & Concrete Valencia pit mine.