Environmental Research
Cheyenne Bottoms, Kansas

2025

Late spring 2025 – Deception Creek

We returned to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve on the last day of spring, June 19, 2025, to conduct kite aerial photography (KAP) at the Deception Creek site. Repeated heavy spring rains had fallen across southern Kansas, but the wetland marsh-pool complex at TNC had received less rain and was still classified as abnormally dry. Water formed shallow puddles in some of the deeper pools, but Deception Creek channel and its mouth and delta areas were dry. So, the severe to extreme drought conditions of the previous three years had come to an end, but mostly dry conditions continued nonetheless—see 2023-2024.


Kansas drought status for June 17, 2025. TNC Cheyenne
Bottoms Preserve (*). From the U.S. Drought Monitor.


Wide-angle KAP overviews

View to northwest
toward Hoisington

View northward over the
central pool-marsh complex

View to northeast
toward Deception Creek

Water smartweed, also called water knotweed and by other names (Polygonum amphibium), is a common inhabitant of the marsh-pool complex, often found in scattered patches along the marsh margin during wet periods. The variety known as longroot smartweed (P. a. var. emersum) appears to be the type present. It's highly aggressive and classified as a noxious weed in some places, such as California, but not in Kansas.

We were surprised to see dense coverage of water smartweed across the damp mudflats and shallow pools. From the bird's-eye view, the smartweed looks like bright-green mats surrounded by pale-yellow foxtail barley that forms a high visual contrast. We have never witnessed this abundant spread of smartweed before. However, the smartweed bloom is likely to be short lived, as conditions change during the coming summer.

KAP of water smartweed
Overview (left) and closer shot (right) of moist mudflats and pools covered mainly by water smartweed that appears as green carpets that are surrounded by foxtail barley in straw-yellow color. Shallow water shows through the smartweed at the centers of deeper pools.

Other vegetation continues trends seen during the previous drought years—see 2024 vegetation. Various opportunistic and undesirable plants still are present. Foxtail barley covers much of the dry mudflat areas, and poison hemlock occupies slightly higher and drier islands and shoreline settings. Small stands of bulrush, cattail, and musk thistle are present locally, all of which gives rise to a mixture of wetland and dryland vegetation. As with the smartweed bloom, this assemblage of vegetation is likely to be ephemeral as water levels and soil moisture fluctuate.

Vegetation ground views
Left: Water smartweed (Polygonum amphibium var. emersum) with some faded flowers.

Right: Great bulrush (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani) and foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum L.).

Left: Musk thistle (Carduus nutans L.) in bloom, also known as nodding thistle. Note: TNC is making an effort to eradicate this noxious weed.

Right: Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum L.) blooming with tiny white flowers. Also water smartweed and foxtail barley.


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