Bonny Dam

[1] It impounds the South Fork of the Republican River for flood control, irrigation storage and recreation, as part of the Bureau's extensive Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program.

It formerly had a water surface area of over 2,000 acres (810 ha), a maximum capacity of 170,160 acre-feet (209,890,000 m3), and a shoreline of about 15 miles (24 km).

[2][3] All water was released downstream to flow across the Kansas state border, about 6 miles (10 km) to the east, to satisfy a May 2003 United States Supreme Court decision on a dispute arising from the Republican River Compact.

[4] In September and October 2011, Bonny Lake was drained and many of the Bonny Lake State Park's services were eliminated, including the fishery and the visitors' center.

The park is now being operated as part of the South Republican River State Wildlife Area.