WSP10478 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

0020~'~ " ~ -~< .". .,." ......... :'-" . (,",' '"h" " Water Resources Development 19 The most severe of the dry periods occurred in 1936 when there was no flow in the river at Parsons for 49 consecutive days, and in 1939 when the flow was less than five cubic feet per second for three months, including a period of 25 days of no flow. The crest stage and duration of overbank flow are each an index of the magnitude of a flood, The highest stage of record at the Parsons station is 27,53 feet which occurred on November 24, 1928, with a peak discharge of 48,100 second feet, and an average for the day of 47,400 as noted before. The flood of longest duration oc- curred in April, 1927, when the river remained above flood stage for most of the month. A large part of the average annual flow is dis- charged in floods which occur at relatively frequent intervals. Large economic losses are sustained due to damages resulting directly or indirectly from overflow and inundation, and to the waste of water which in itself constitutes a valuable resource. The nature and magnitude of the problems as well as the fre- quency of their occurrence is thus indicated by the hydrograph. It is likewise apparent that the solution of these problems must in- volve regulation of flow in the river within some limits such as those suggested on the chart. The variation in flow obviously must be reduced to about one-third of the recorded range in extremes of natural discharge. . "." .~. ....' -'. ,-.. '.;:.;)::::;;)<;~:.2.~~:;'.r..;::;:'.::; . :. .' '.-. '." '.. .... ~ ...." ", .'," '. ,". ....;." . . .", :-." '. " .~ :,'. ,',. -;." .;",0- ....: ..... ','- '. ,........... ":. -<:';'.;~".< ~.~:'~.-~...~,;:.~.:...:: ....::..:-. ".,.," ":"~ :. ::r/.:.:::..;'::/.... .:t ;-..~:..:~-:.< .... ~~. ,". ," '~". -.: . ...... . 0"_;'-" .-:: . ~...:. ".;_ ", ~~.' : .'. '. 't., '.;'-.>:- :;:::..../;...:..:.:':..::.}::~;>.,:"'::.. Pollution When the limited amount of ground water storage in the basin is exhausted during dry summer months, the stream ceases to flow. Problems then arise not only as to inadequacy of diminishing sup- plies, but also as to the deterioration of its sanitary quality and chemical composition. The river is the natural avenue of disposal ior sewage and industrial wastes. As the quantity of water in the stream decreases the concentration of pollution increases rapidly, creating a highly unsatisfactory condition as the discharge ap- proaches zero. There are fourteen cities in the state located along the Cotton- wood and Neosho rivers. Many of them are entirely dependent on these streams for their water supply. All of them use the river as a means of disposing' of sewage and industrial wastes. In dry weather the condition has often existed where the daily amount of water diverted for municipal purposes was in excess of the quantity naturally flowing in the stream. It is obvious that under these cir- cumstances there was a repeated use of the same water as it pro- ceeded downstream. Under the most severe conditions the entire flow of the river was taken through each city water plant. The ""'.'-'" ." ..' . ,~ '.' . .. ..... . . .' '-:-. . ::.;.~. .: '" . . .'. ~ ......, ....:- >. . .. " '.' ...-:?:.....:.><.:.:-:: --. <~..:. ..,.....,..:-.... -...-.-:.....:.:..,... .... :::. ;'" .~. ..:"-. .;... .... -..' .~-.. .;. :., ....:: '... .... . '.': ......-.... ..:. . "