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<br /> TABLEl
<br /> DAAINAGEAREAS ANDMAXlMUJ.l DISCH1\RGES
<br /> Mil.....bove Contributing
<br /> Mouth of Drainage !1aximurn Oateo!
<br />Location Ark River Un Di.~charge Discharge
<br /> (sq. mi.) (0;:.(.8.)
<br />ArKansas River:
<br />Colorado
<br />Below John Martin 1,15?7 18,132 IBO,OOO ~" " 1921
<br />Reservoir
<br />....., 1,137.3 18,830 DC,OOO ,~ " 1921
<br />Holly 1,105.0 23,425 110,000 "" ", 1908
<br />Kansas
<br />Coolidge 1,099.5 23,702 158,000 '"" H, 1965
<br />Syn.cuse 1,080.9 23,"06 174,000 '"" H, 1965
<br />Garden City 1,024.2 24,703 130,000 '"" H, 1965
<br />OadgeCity !:l70.2 25,017 92,000 '"" H, 1965
<br />Kinsley 920.3 25,406 49,800 ~" n, 1965
<br />Larned 897.4 26,017 40,000 ~" n, 1965
<br />Great Bend 873.2 38,354 27.800 '"" n, 1965
<br />Tributaries,
<br />Colorado
<br />CaddoaCreek " 1,157.5 m 37,600 '"" '", 1965
<br />Caddoa
<br />Ilig Sandy Creek I,U7.S 2,840 3,600 ~" H, 1965
<br />nooarLarnar
<br />Wolf Creek 1,117.3 " ;5,300 '"" H, 1965
<br />near Granada
<br />Two Butte creek 1,105.6 "" 182,000 ,= H, lS6S
<br />"earllolly
<br />Wild l~rse Creek 1,104.5 m 22,000 A", '", lS35
<br />Kansas
<br />Mulberry Creek south S20.3 " 1,220 "" '", 1968
<br />of Dodge City
<br />Pawnee River 897.3 2,010 16,300 M '", 1958
<br />near Larned
<br />W~lnut C,.."..1c " <l~fl.7 l,30t, 12,700 ~~n "' 1959
<br /> --, --,
<br />i'l1bert
<br />l'lhite\'lo=n Creek '" 2,120 A", "', 1968
<br />nearUoti (noncontributing drainage area)
<br />
<br />watershed have caused frequent flood problems along areas now protected
<br />by John Martin Dam. Cot:tpletionofthedam,,,,hichbeganstorinq,,,,,ter
<br />in December 1948, greatly reduced the severity and frequency of
<br />flooding in the lo"'~r Ar~ansas valley. Flooding from rndjor tribu-
<br />taries that enter the Arkansas' main stc~ below the dam has continued
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<br />to plague the lo~~r communities, as the unusual June 196j flood demon-
<br />strated. The high p~dks ""sultin,! from this flood led many local
<br />people to believe that "the dam had broken." Actually, the vast
<br />reservoir storage area behind the dam had contained the destructive
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<br />flood originating in the upper watershed and prevented a disaster of
<br />major proportions in the lower valley.
<br />7. The major uncontrolled areas that contributed most toward~
<br />flood peaks in 1965 lie south of the Arkansas' main stem. Although
<br />Big Sandy Creek (a north*hank tributary and the large~t single drain*
<br />age area consisting of 3,426 square miles) attained peaks of 60,700
<br />cubic feet per second near Calhan, Colorado, only 3,600 cubic feet per
<br />second were recorded at the creek's mouth. Valley storage and high
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<br />infiltration,alongwithnurnerousundefinednoncontributinqareas
<br />and several s~11 Soil Conservation Service flood-retarding structures,
<br />act to Substantially reduoe flood peaks throughout this major drainage
<br />basin. The total uncontrolled contributing drainage area of about
<br />
<br />S,S70 sq'~~rc ~ilec (inc1u~ing Big San~y Creek) oxict~ witti~ t~c fir~t
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<br />60 river miles from John Martin Pam to about the Colorado*Kansas State
<br />lin". In "ontrast, only about 1,700 square miles of contributing
<br />drdindge drea enter the reach between the State line and Kinsley,
<br />Kansas, a distance of about 180 river rnilea. This reduction results
<br />from the White Woman Creek closed basin, which contains 2,250 square
<br />miles of noncontributingdrain..ge area. Surfacerunofffroll\intense
<br />storms occurring over th~ central pertion of the ",..tershed is greatly
<br />reduced by infiltration and surface storage within this closed basin.
<br />S. Broad flat valleys and mild channel gradients combine e!fec-
<br />tively to create tenporarr storage areas inthei'lrkansas River flood
<br />plains. Ihe Jet<mtion wi signi.ficant floodwatez' volum~~ ~xt~nds
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