• Vehicles are permitted only on established roads and parking areas. Driving off roads or on roads closed by sign or barrier is prohibited.
• Camping is permitted only in the primitive campground located 1/2 mile west of the area office.
• The use of watercraft is restricted to minimize disturbance to the wildlife and to ensure a more aesthetically pleasing experience for all visitors. Watercraft are not permitted in the refuge areas. During the waterfowl season, in-water propeller-driven boats and hand powered boats can be utilized in Pools 2, 3 and 4. Airboats are not allowed at any time. Outside the waterfowl season, only hand-powered boats are allowed. From April 15 to August 15, hand powered watercraft are not permitted between 10 A.M. and 5 P.M. Life jacket laws will be enforced.

Pool 2

• Littering is prohibited. Take all trash with you.
• Boats, decoys, ammunition, binoculars and other supplies are not available at the area office.
• The Mitigation Marsh, located in the southeast portion of the Wildlife Area, is managed as a youth hunting area. It is open to hunters less than 16 years old hunters accompanied by no more than two adults.
• Non-toxic shot is required for all shotgun hunting. The possession of lead shot in the field is prohibited.
• No shooting is allowed on or from the dikes.
• No holes or pits may be dug for any purpose. Portable blinds and temporary blinds made of native vegetation may be used but must be removed within 10 days after the close of the hunting season or after the last day of use.

The 19,857-acre Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area is part of a 41,000-acre natural land sink just northeast of Great Bend.

During the 1940's and1950s, the State of Kansas acquired the land, and dikes were constructed to impound water in five pools. Canals and dams were built to divert water from the nearby Arkansas River and Wet Walnut Creek to supplement water provided by two intermittent streams, Blood and Deception creeks.  Monies for this initial land purchasing and development came from two sources.  One was the sale of hunting licenses.  The second was from a Federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition.  The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act was passed in 1937.  This legislation allows for the collection of this excise tax money which is then apportioned out to each state with the amount received based on the total area of the state and the number of hunting licenses sold.  The program is a cost reimbursement program where the state covers the full amount of an approved project then applies for reimbursement through Federal Aid for up to 75% of the project expenses.  Cheyenne Bottoms was one of the first projects the State of Kansas embarked on using this Federal program.  Federal Aid continues to fund, along with hunting license dollars, the annual operation and maintenance of the property for all to enjoy.  Some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities can be had on land bought and maintained using these hunter generated dollars. 

During the 1990s, extensive renovation sub-divided some of the pools. In addition, pump stations were built to allow for increased management flexibility and water level manipulation. This renovation effort also provided increased water conservation to better meet wildlife needs during dry periods. Manipulation of water levels in the pools is a major tool in managing the marsh for water birds. Another part of the renovation was the construction of large (2 to 5 acre) islands in Pools 3 and 4.  These islands served as locations to deposit accumulated silt in areas of chronic cattail stands.  They also are used by hunters and nesting birds. 

Each year, one or more of the pools is drained as deemed necessary. Often these areas are seeded to millet and/or wheat and undesirable vegetation is controlled by burning, mowing and disking while the pools are dry. The photo below shows the current plant that is posing a threat to Cheyenne Bottoms. Phragmites is a wetland plant that, if left unchecked, can take over a marsh. It has even out competed cattail at Cheyenne Bottoms.

The History behind some of the parking lot names.

Several years ago names were given to the various parking lots located around the Wildlife Area.  The effort was being done to get away from the institutionalized numbering system in place and to recognize some of the history associated with the Bottoms.  Presented here are the names of the lots and the background behind them.

Coursing Club:  During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s a Coursing Club was located a bit north and west of the Wildlife Area office about 1.5 miles.  They used greyhounds to chase jack rabbits.

4 Corners:  Located northeast of the office 2 miles, this lot is close to the lodge of an early 20^th Century duck hunting club by that name.

Brinkman:  Located 1 mile west and about 3 miles south of Redwing, this lot is named after an early landowner who settled in the northern portion of Cheyenne Bottoms in the 1870’s or 80’s.

Redwing:  Named after the small community located to the north of the parking lot.

Kinzel:  This lot, on the east side of Pool 3B, is named after a family residing in the area for some time.

Pike:  Located on the east side of Pool 3B, this lot is named after the explorer who passed through the basin in 1806.

Schrepel:  Located behind Pool 4A, this lot is named after the family that had a farm here in the early 1900's.

Deadman:  Located behind Pool 4A, off K-156 Highway, this lot is named after an incident in the late 1900's when a person was discovered having apparently committed suicide near the lot.

White Rock:  This lot is located on the south end of the Pool 4A/4B dividing dike.  Following the renovation of the 1990’s, this parking lot was surfaced with crushed limestone rock giving it a white color.

Ridge Road:  A military road from Fort Harker to Fort Larned crossed the basin in the mid to late 1800's.  In periods of wet conditions travelers shifted their route to the south following a ‘ridge’ around the basin avoiding the water.

Green Lake:  Prior to development as a wildlife area, several small depressions held water longer than the rest of the basin when going dry.  Located north of this lot about 1 ¼ miles, on the east end of the Goose Hunting Zones,  was Green Lake.   It was one of these depressions.

Silo:  This parking lot on the Goose Hunting Zones is named for the long standing landmark north of the lot.

Gunnery:  During World War 2 the Army Air Corps used the Bottoms as a training/target area for plane crews flying out of the Great Bend Airfield.  Located less than a mile west of this lot, on the west end of the Goose Hunting Zones, were gun emplacement structures used for small arms/machine gun practice.