▁Front ▁Range ▁cities ▁and ▁agricult ure ▁interests ▁up stream ▁have ▁acquired ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁water ▁rights , ▁and ▁the ▁ground water ▁aqu if ers ▁are ▁dry ing ▁up . ▁Ki owa ▁County ▁faces ▁ever - de cre asing ▁water ▁supplies ▁and ▁further ▁economic ▁decl ine . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁conce iv able ▁that ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁will ▁eventually ▁revert ▁to ▁its ▁original ▁sparse ▁grass land ▁and ▁pra irie ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁pre - 1 8 8 0 s . ▁ ▁Today ▁E ads , ▁along ▁the ▁old ▁rail road ▁line , ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁town ▁in ▁the ▁county . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁Ki owa ▁county ▁seat , ▁serves ▁the ▁surv iving ▁far ming ▁and ▁ran ch ing ▁interests , ▁and ▁hosts ▁the ▁county ' s ▁largest ▁high ▁school . ▁Sher idan ▁Lake ▁does ▁have ▁a ▁combined ▁junior - and - sen ior ▁high , ▁and ▁still ▁surv iving ▁in ▁some ▁form ▁are ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Town er , ▁Ar ling ton , ▁Br andon , ▁Ch iving ton , ▁and ▁Has well . ▁ ▁Geography ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁county ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁ ▁( 1 . 0 %) ▁is ▁water . ▁ ▁Sign ific ant ▁d rain age ▁bas ins ▁in ▁the ▁county ▁are ▁Ad obe - J oh ns ▁Creek ▁and ▁Must ang ▁Creek ▁which ▁d rain ▁the ▁county ' s ▁western ▁part , ▁R ush ▁Creek ▁and ▁Big ▁Sand y ▁Creek ▁in ▁the