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OI)ll5,n . ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN Data relating to the physical featureS' of the Arkansas river basin has been abstracted largely from House Document Number 308, Seventy-fourth Congress, First Session, entitled "Arkansas River and Tributaries." GEOGRAPHY The Arkansas river rises in the Rocky mountains near Leadville, Colorado, and flows in a southerly direction to a point near Pleasan- ton, Cbiorado; thence in a general easterly course through central and eastern Colorado to a point near Ford, Kansas, whcre the river turns northeast to Great Bend. From Great Bend the river flows southeast to Wichita and then south to. Arkansas City, where it enters Oklahoma. The length of the main stem in Kansas is 402 miles. From its source to Canon City, Colorado, the river is a typical mountain stream descending from an elevation of 11.500 feet to 5,300 feet. From Canon City, Colorado, to Pueblo, Colorado, t~e slope of the river is about 14.8 feet per mile through a narrow valley flanked by foothills. At Pueblo the valley merges into an immense agricultural and grazing area known as the "Great Plains." As the river crosses eastcrn Colorado and western Kansas, the river slope decreases and' the channel width. increases. The stream is unable at ordinary stages to carry its load of debris collected in the steeper portions above and the silt and sand is deposited, forming low sandy banks and bars which obstruct flows and cause frequent shifting of the stream bed. From the Colorado-Kansas state line the stream course' is characterized by broad sandy bed and low banks four to five feet in height. The average slope of the river from the state line to Hutchinson is about 6.6 feet per mile. From Hutchinson to.Wichita the slope is about 5.2 feet per mile and then flattens out to about 3.3 . feet per mile to the Oklahoma-Kansas state line. Below Wichita the channel widens out and becomes well defined between banks from eight to ten feet in height. There is a notable absence of tributary inflow into the Arkansas river in Western Kansas. Several of the creeks which drain the up- lands do not have channels leading into the Arkansas river, but discharge their flood waters onto the Plains. In the eastern half . (29) ~':'.' .~.~...;:.::.:.::~;r:,~~,. . ._ ,'" ,",~'- ", ".;". ," ~:...":>' '. ",-.-. ....:......... ,", '. .:. .:._;....:~: ,.'- :..;" ~ .... .......... ~ .....- -. .~.' ~. , :,;~....,. .' ", '-', .-:." :; . .~':- '," .:. .", .. :,'":' .:~, :.'~. , ." .....-. ,....:... ..... .:' "r", .. ...... . ~ :~..:'. . "..." :. .. . .' 11'/~0..-:~. '~:,I., ~t()~..;< 1~1 ;~.J\;:~'~~~:.~'~:f.::.:;.l:; . '. ...... ,"...'. \.:.~....:::.. ~..:.~:;'...: ~. '." ...~ .. :.;~ -.: .'. .:~. ...... . ....