The Republican River was named after a band of Pawnee Indians who were regarded as having a republican form of government. This section of the river is below Milford Lake and flows swiftly through long pools and over rocky shoals toward its conjunction with the Smoky Hill River in Junction City. These two rivers converge into the beautiful Kansas River. The water level on this segment of the river is completely under the control of the Corps of Engineers and the levels can change very quickly and dramatically.