WSP06585 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

o C) ..... N -..1 o NORTH CANADIAN RIVER BASlll The North Canadian River rises in dry washes of the Raton }lountains in eastern New Mexico and flo\iS in a general easterly direction through the Oklahoma Panhandle and then in Q southe3sterly direction to join the Canadian River near Eufaula, Oklahoma. The length of the basin is about 480 miles, total drainage area is 17,870 square miles, and elevations range from about 7,000 feet to 550 feet above mean sea level. In New !-lexico the stream flm'/S through the rugged foothills of shale and sand- stone bedrock and emerges to the High Plains near the Oklahoma state line. Drainage area in New l,lexico is about 750 square miles, with an average rainfall of 15-18 inches. The stream leavlts the Oklahoma Panhandle for a short loop through the Texas Panhandle near Texoma, Oklahoma, and several tributaries down- stream have their headwaters in Texas. The watershed in the Panhandle area is a broad expanse of smooth high plains and drainage is poorly developed. The main stream is entrenched a considerable distance below the general elevation of the plains but the river alluvium is fairly wide in many places. Precipitation in this region is about 18 inches annually. Investigations have shown that ground vmter of good quality in this area appears to be available in considerable quantity, at depths of 100-200 feet; however, only about 2,000 acres have been developed for irrigation up to the present time in the basin. 1.lean annual flow below the mouth of Coldwater Creek for the period 1938-49 is 47,140 acre-feet. From about the mouth of and upstream at Paloduro Creek, the North Canadian River has cut through to the Permian redbeds which extend to central Oklahoma. The stream leaves the High Plains area in about the vicinity of Beaver, Oklahoma. The basin becomes very narrow and no important tributaries exist between vlolf Creek and Deep Fork. The river alluvium is generally deep and quite pervious, underlain by the impervious redbeds. The water quality is fairly satisfactory for most purposes to Oklahoma City. Mineral content is relatively low and con- sists primarily of calcium carbonate and sodium sulphate. At Canton reservoir, where 71 per cent of the drainage area is controlled, the stream flow is impounded in Canton reservoir (capaci~, 390,000 ecre-feet at top of flood control pool) for flood controi and irri- gation pux'poses, This project was completed in 1948 end hes caused a considerable change in stream regimen. Natural flow et this site averaged 209,300 acre-feet annually during the period 1938-49. Annual pr'ecipi tation at Beaver, Oklahoma, during this same period avereged 21.4 inches in comparison with an avsrage of 18.9 inches for the period 2-6 ~ l1> ~ .. ! \