Water, Oil, and Natural Resources

Water in Kansas

Whether it's found in lakes and rivers or deep underground, water has always been essential to the growth, economy, and life in Kansas.

Mining and quarrying

Industrial rocks and minerals produced in Kansas include limestone, sandstone, sand and gravel, clay and shale, gypsum, and salt.

Oil and natural gas in Kansas

Oil and natural gas are the most significant energy resources produced in Kansas and are main drivers in the state's economy.


Clockwise, from top: Confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers in Kansas City, Wyandotte County; Big Brutus power shovel, West Mineral, Cherokee County; south fork of the Republican River, Cheyenne County; pumpjack, Greenwood County; White Rock Creek at upper end of Lovewell Reservoir, Jewell County (photo courtesy Bill Johnson).