GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 99 

January 1951 

FLOOD OF AUGUST 1-6, 1950, AT 

WICHITA FALLS, TEX. 

By 

Ivan D. Yost 

Prepared cooperatively with the 

TEXAS BOARD OF WATER ENGINEERS 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Oscar L. Chapman, Secretary 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. E. Wrather, Director 

WASHINGTON. D. C. 

FREE ON APPLICATION TO THE DIRECTOR, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. WASHINGTON 25, D . C. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 99 

January 1951 

FLOOD OF AUGUST 1-6, 1950, AT 

WICHITA FALLS, TEX. 

By 

Ivan D. Yost 

Prepared cooperatively with the 

TEXAS BOARD OF WATER ENGINEERS 
• 

FLOOD OF AUGUST l-6, 1950, AT WICHITA FALLS, TEX. 

:ay 

Ivan D. Yost 

INTRODUCTION 

Floods occurred on streams in the vicinity of Wichita Falls, 

Tex., during the period Aug. 1-6, 1950, as a result of heavy rains 

falling immediately southwest of the city on August 1, 1950. Serious 

flooding occurred along Holliday Creek in the city, necessitating the 

evacuation of about five hundred families from the low areas; however, 

no loss of life was reported. The total direct damage to residential 

and industrial property was estimated by-Corps of Engineers, U. s. Army, 

to be $291,500. No estimate was available, but crop and soil losses in 

the rural areas were probably very high. 

The purpose of this report is to present certain rainfall and 

runoff data in the flood area in greater detail than is usually found 

in regular Water-Supply Papers. The report contains a summary of peak 

discharges at six points, and d~tailed records of discharge during the 

flood period at five points in the vicinity of Wichita Falls. The report also contains a discussion of rainfall associated with the flood 

and a description of the general features of the flood. 

This report was prepared in the Surface Water Branch of the Water 

Resources Division, U. s. Geological Survey, c. G. Paulsen, chief hydraulic engineer. Field data were obtained and computations made by 

the Wichita Falls area office of the Surface Water Branch, J. 0. Joerns, 

area engineer. 

Base data used in this report were obtained in cooperation with 

the Texas Board of Water Engineers. The Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, 

1 
2 

furnished a statement of damages resulting from the flood. The city of 

Wichita Falls furnished lake-level elevations for Lake ~ickapoo luring 

part of the flood period. The Wichita County Water Improvement Districts 

Jos. 1 and 2 furnisbed daily lake-level elevations for Lake Diversion and 

Lake Kemp. The United States Weather Bureau furnished records of rainfall 

at official stations. 

RAINFALL 

Rainfall during the month of July 1950 was the heaviest during the 

period of continuous record, beginnillg in 1931, at the Kell Field Weather 

Bureau Station near Wichita Falls. The total rainfall at this station 

for the month was 11.86 inches - the wettest on record for July - exceeding the July normal by 9.53 inches; and that monthly total has been 

exceeded only by an unofficial record of rainfall for May 1901. This 

heavy rainfall in July did not produce excessive runoff as it was fairly 

well distributed throughout the month; however, the ground was saturated 

to the point that the rate of runoff of the subsequent heavy rains was 

increased. 

Records show that the heavy rainfall producing the floods began 

about 1 a.m., August 1. Re~orts indicate the heaviest rain fell between 

1 a.m .. and 6 a.m. with a steady drizzle throughout the day and heavy rains 

again falling late in the afternoon. The greatest amount of rainfall recorded was on the Charles Williams Ranch 6.5 miles southeast of Dundee, 

where 6.50 inches was recorded at 6 a.m. and 3.25 inches recorded at 

6 p.mo, making a total of 9-75 inches for the storm. The area of heaviest 

rainfall was in sparsely settled farm an~ ranch country; therefore very 

t 

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3 

few reliable rainfall records were obtained in that area. Isohyetal lines 

shown on map (fig. 1) were based on all available rainfall records.. :No 

record from recording gage was available for the area of heaviest rainfall. 

The heaviest rainfall of the August 1 storm occurred on the upper 

watersheds of the Little Wichita River and Holliday Creek causing serious 

flood conditions on both streams. The average rainfall on the drainage 

area of the Borth Fork Little Wichita River above Lake Kickapoo was about 

) 

8 inches, and on the Holliday Creek drainage area about 5 inches. 

The following discussion of the meteorological situation in northwest Texas on July 31 and August 1, 1950, was prepared by E. A. Moore, 

meteorologist, Kell Field Weather Bureau Station, Wichita Falls, Tex.: 

"On the evening of July 31, a low pressure system was centered over Wisconsino A cold front extended southwestward, from 

this low, to the Texas Panhandle.. There was a strong flow of 

warm moist air from the Gulf over Texas and Oklahoma, with moist 

polar air over Kansas northward. The meeting of these two air 

masses, or frontal zone, produced showers and thunderstorms with 

locally heavy rains in the Wichita Falls areao As the front moved 

slowly to the south and east, the rains persisted in this section, 

immediately in advance of the front. As usual in showery conditions, the rainfall measurements varied widely, but in this northwest Texas area, all amounts were heavy following an extremely wet 

Julyo At the Weather Bureau Station, located approximately 5 

miles north of Wichita Falls, the twenty-four hour rainfall from 

3 a.m., August l to 3 aom. of the second was 1.83 inches. Much 

heavier rains occurred to the immediate west and southwest in the 

watersheds of Holliday Creek and the Wichita River. An unoffiei~l 

report,- but believed to be reliable.)! show amounts as great as 9.75 

inches in the vicinity of Dundee." 

GENERAL FEATURES OF THE FLOOD 

All lakes in the area - Lake Wichita, Lake Kiekapoo.)l Lake Kemp, and 

Lake Diversion - made substantial gains in storage during the month of 

July l950, and all lakes, except Lake Kemp, had flow over the spillways 
99°0' 30' 15 ' 98°0' 

34oo'l r I / "- ' I '\ \ I ~ ~~ 134oo' £> I \ \ 7 1 \ " \ I _,.-r. '------""= " 

A 

I \( 

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---- - WICHITA I FALLS 

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-~ c jY A y 

0 Henrietta 

5'~ / ',/ r v ~ ;/'' , ;;/ " 1 t'J:-;;,'4" 7/l 1 r "......,_ 1 / 1 ~ i 145' 

EXPLANATION 

---8---

Lines of equal rainfall, in inches 

\ .4 

Stream- gaging stations 

\ (Numbers ore those referred to in table I) 

30'1 \ \_ ' \: " \: "{: '>. K:: & ,/ / ( ( / J { /;/ 7 7 7 7 I I 5 0 5 10 

~ -- I I 30' 

Scale in Miles 

99°0' 4_5 1 30' 15' 98°0 

..:t Figure 1.-- lsohyetal map showing total rainfall August I, 1950 in the vicinity of Wichita Falls, Tex. 
5 

before the heavy rainfall of August 1, 1950. Lake Kemp did not spill 

any water during this flood. 

Lake Wichita, on Holliday Creek ~t the edge of the city of Wichita 

Falls, was full and discharging some water over its spillway when the 

August 1 storm occurred. The normal channel of Holliday Creek below 

Lake Wichita, where it meanders through the city, can carry about 1,000 

second-feet without serious flooding. The channel was still full from 

previous rainfall, and, when the flood waters from the upper reaches of 

Holliday Creek reached Lake Wichita, a large amount of water was again 

' 

spilled into the creek, quickly flooding the low areas and causing considerable property damage. A view of part of the flooded area along · ( 

Holliday Creek j s shown in figure 2. Peak discharge over the spillway 

at Lake Wichita was computed to be about 3,000 second-feet. This checked 

fairly well with the peak discharge of Holliday Creek at U. S. Highway 82, 

6.2 miles below Lake Wichita, which was determined from the known peak 

stage and area-velocity studies of current-meter measurements made after 

the peak occurred. A view of the spillway at Lake Wichita at about the 

peak discharge is shown in figure 4o 

Lake Kickapoo on the North Fork Little Wichita River reached its 

maximum stage and discharged over the spillway for the first time since 

storage began February 1, 1946. Peak discharge over the spillway was 

14,500 second-feet by computed spillway rating. A view of Lake Kickapoo 

some time after the peak had passed is shown in figure 3. The gaging 

station on the Little Wichita River below the confluence of the North 

and Middle Forks had a peak discharge of 15,100 second-feet, indicating 

that the major part of the flow came from the North Fork. The Little 
6 

Figure 2.-- Flooded area along Holliday Creek in 

Wichita Falls, Tex. August I- 6, 1950 

Figure 3.-- Lake Kickapoo on North Fork Little Wichita 

River near Archer City, Tex. August 2, 1950 

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Figure 4.-- Lake Wichita on HoHiday Creek near Wichita Falls, 

Tex. at about the peak of f I o o d of August 3, I 9 50 
8 

Wichita River, though seriously flooded, did not cause much damage other 

than soil and crop losses because it heads in and meanders through farm 

and ranch country. 

Lake Kemp on the Wichita. River made a considerable gain in storage, 

but at no time during the flood period was any water released from the . 

lake nor did any flow over the spillway. Lake Diversion on the Wichita 

River, 18 river miles below the Lake Kemp dam, was discharging some water 

over the spillway prior to the August 1 stor.m. The peak discharge over 

Lake Diversion spillway was computed to be 5,360 second-feet, and at the 

gaging station on the Wichita River at Wichita Falls, the peak discharge 

was 9,000 second-feet, indicating considerable inflow between Lake, Diversion, mainly from Beaver Creek and Buffalo Creek. Only a small area was 

inundated by the Wichita River within the city. 

Reports indicate that high stages of this flood were exceeded by 

those during the flood of 1941. The peak discharge of' the flood of 

June 8, 1915, on the Wichita River was computed to be 50,000 second-feet 

by Vernon L. Sullivan, engineer for the Big Wichita River Irrigation Co.; 

however, this flood occurred prior to the completion of Lake Kemp on the 

Wichita River. 

DAMAGES 

The direct damages in the city of Wi~hita Falls resulting from the 

flood on Holliday Creek during the period August 1-3, 1950, are estimated 

at $291,500 as shown below: 

Residential property 

Municipal property 

Business and Industrial property 

Estimated damage 

$210,000 

65 , 000 

16,500 

$291,500 

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The above figures do not include indirect damages which consist of 

losses due to the interruption to normal business and commerce, wage 

losses, and relief, care and rehabilitation of f~ood victims. 

STAGES AND DISCHARGES AT STREAM-GAGING STATIONS 

Stage and discharge records obtained at four stream-gaging stations 

in the vicinity of Wichita Falls during the flood of August 1~6, 1950, 

are presented on the following pages. The stations are listed in table l 

and their locations shown on figure 1. Graphs of discharge plotted from 

station records are shown in figure 5. Complete records for all stations 

except Wichita River at Lake Di:version near Dundee are published regularly 

in the annual series of reports on Surface Water Supply of the United States, 

Part 7, Lower Mississippi River Basin. There is no regular stream-gaging 

station maintained on Wichita River at Lake Diversion near Dundee, but 

available records are included in this report to obtain a more complete 

study of the flood flow. · Daily records of stage and discharge or contents 

are available for the stations as follows: 

Station 

Wichita River at Lake Kemp near Mabelle, Tex. 

Wichita River at Lake Diversion near Dundee, Tex. 

Wichita River at Wichita Falls, Tex. 

North Fork Little Wichita River at Lake 

Kickapoo near Archer City, Tex. 

Little Wichita River near Archer City, Tex. 

Red River near Terral, Oklao 

Period of Record 

October 1922, to date 

August l-6, 1950 

March 1938, to date 

February 1946, to date 

May 1932, to date 

April 1938, to date 

No reliable data were available for floods prior to period of record. 
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Table 1.--Summary of Peak Discharges in the Wichita Falls Area, August 1950 

No. Drainage Maximum flood previously known Maximum during present flood 

on area Period of Gage 

Figo Stream (square known Date height 

1 miles) floods (feet) 

1 I Wichita River at Lake 1,988 1922-50 June 30, 1,149.6 

Kemp near Mabelle 1941 

2 I Wichita River at Lake }?./2,lo8 I - I - - Diversio.n .near Dun.dee 

I ~;3,105 11915-23 

~/June 8, 

3 !Wichita River at 1915 

Wichita Falls Oct. 3, 

1924-50 1941 24.00 

4 I North Fork Little Wich- I 284 11946-50 !/- - ita River at Lake Kickapoo near Archer City 

5 I Little Wichita River 496 1932-50 Oct. 31, 26.18 

near Archer City 1941 

6 I Red River near :!/28,280 1938-50 June 8, 28.12 

Terral, Okla. 1941 

l 

a/ Maximum contents in acre-feet. 

b/ Of which 1,988 square miles is above Lake Kemp dam. 

c/ Discharge from computed rating for spillway of Lake Diversion dam. 

d./ Flood occurred prior to completion Lake Kemp dam. 

Discharge 

(second- Time 

feet) 

~/420,900 Aug. 5-7 

- Aug .. 1 

4:30 p.m. I 

~I 5o,ooo I Aug. 4, 

1:30 a.m. I ' 17,800 

- I Aug. 2, 

1 a.m. I 

17,900 Aug. 2, I 4 p.m. 

197,000 Aug. 2, I 

1 p.m. 

e/ Discharge computed by Vernon L. Sullivan, engineer for Big Wichita Irrigation Co. 

f/ No discharge over spillway prior to July 28,1950. -

Gage_ Discharge 

height (second-

(feet) feet) 

1,148.5 ~/402,500 

1,054.4 1~/ 5,360 

21.421 9,000 

1,o49.2 1~1 l4,5oo 

-25.911 15,10( 

17.361 25,800 

gf Discharge from computed rating for spillway of Lake Kickapoo dam furnished by city of Wichita Falls .. 

~/ Of which 5,440 square miles is probably noncontributing. 

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0 

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c 

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1-

I ·-~~I I r1 I I I rRed River near Terral,, Okla. I 

I 

1 

~( Peak 25,800 

. . . I 

2 5 .• .• 

l 

I 

I 

I : _./ I . . . . . . . . . I I : . . . . i i 

I ... . . . . . . . . ... . 2 0 . . . . .. 

I / I · .. · · ··j \ . 1 

I I :· I (Little Wichita River ·•. I 

: near Archer City, Tex. •• I 1 

I 5 . , Peak 15 I 0 0 · •• 

I 1 / { \, I 1 r· .. · · · · · ·: .. 

I I 

: I ' I I I f·· ... ! Jl ', Wichita River at Wichita Falls, Tex • 

10 :· 1 '..1 Peak 9,000 

. . . I ... I I Jx--- --~ I I 

······f······· ···· ..... 1····. : 1 / / I ',, 1 ~, I I 

Wichita River at--k_. 1 / ' 

' 51 Lake Diversion ' 

near Dundee, Tex. · I I - ___ ~ ......... 

Peak 5,360 ~----- ......... _____ I _ 

-- oF=~~~~~~--~--_L--~--~--~==~====~==±===*===~=--

July 31 Au g. I 2 3 4 5 6 

Figure 5. --Graphs of discharge of various streams in Wichita Falls area, 1950. 

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The gaging-station records o~ the following pages consist of a 

station description, a table of daily mean diseh$rges and daily total 

runoff for the flood period, and a table of discharges at indicated 

times during the flood to define the .shape of the discharge bydrograph. 

Under the headiag "Maxima" is given the period of known floods a~d the 

maximum discharge and gage height, where known, that occurred prior to 

August 1950. 
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-Wichita River at Lake Kemp near Mabelle, Tex. 

Location.- Lat& 33°45 ', long. 99°09', in. outlet-gate control house of resvoir, 6.2 miles north of Mabelle, Baylor County, and 10.2 miles northeast .of Seymour. Datum of gage is 2.4 feet above mean sea level, datum 

of 1929, Fort Worth supplementary adjustment of 1942. 

Drainage area - ~,988 square miles • 

Gage-height record.- From graph b~~ed on tape-gage readings. 

--

Discharge record.- No flow over spillway. Capacity table furnished by 

Corps of Engineers and was based on their field survey in 1944. Storage 

began Oct •. l, 1922, and dam completed Aug. 25, 1923. 

Maxima.- Aug. 1950: Contents, 402,500 acre-feet, Aug. 5-7 (gage height, 

1,148.5 feet). 

1922-49: Contents, 420,900 acre-feet, June 30, 1941 {gage height, 1,149.6 feet). 

Remarks.- No water was released from Lake Kemp during the period Aug. 1-6. 

Records of daily gage heights furnished by Wichita County Water Improvement Districts Nos. 1 and 2. Reservoir capacity 438,000 acre-feet at 

spillway service crest (gage height, 1,150.6). 

Contents in and runoff into Lake Kemp, in acre-feet, 1950 

Day Contents Runoff Day Contents -Runoff 

July 31 371,100 -- Aug. 

Aug. 1 374,400 3,300 4 400,800 1,600 

2 390,900 16,500 5 402,500 1,700 

3 399,200 8,300 6 402,500 0 

Runoff in ae!e-feet, for period Aug. 1-6 • • ~ • • • . • • • • 31,400 
14 

Wichita River at Lake Diversion near Dundee. Tex. 

Location.- Lat. 33°49', long. 98°56', above spillway of Lake Diversion dam, 

5.7 miles north northeast of Dundee, Archer County.' 

Draina..se Area.- 2,1o8 square miles of which 1,988 square miles is above 

Lake Kemp dam. 

Gage-height record.- ;From graph based on staff-gage readings. 

Discharge record.- Stage-discharge relation from computed rating curve for 

spillway. · 

Maxima.- Aug. 1950: Discharge, 5,360 second-feet at 4:30p.m. Aug. 1 (eleva.,.. 

tion 1054.4 feet), 

No recQrd of previous floods available. 

Remarks.- Reservoir full and discharging over spillway during flood period, 

capacity about 40,000 acre-feet. No water released from Lake Kemp during th~ period of Aug. 1-6. · 

Mean discharge, in second-feet, and runof·:w, in acre-feet, 1950 

Day Second-feet Acre-feet Day Second-feet Acre-feet 

Aug. Aug. 

1 3,300 6,550 4 465 922 

2 2,760 5,470 5 270 536 

3 1,060 2,100 6 150 298 

Runoff_, in. acre-feetz. for period Au~. · 1-6 ••.••••••••. o o.,. •• 15,880 

Hour Feet Sec.-ft. Hour Feet u t 

July 31 (Aug. 1 cont.) (Aug. 3 cont.) 

1 a.m. 1051.53 70 4 p.m. l054.4o 5,360 12 m. 1052.47 1,040 

12 m. 1051.48 60 6 1054.38 5,300 6 p.~, 1052.32 760 

8 1054.28 5,060 

Aug. 1 10 1054.11 4,580 Aug. 4 

1 a.m. 1051.43 30 1 a.m. 1052.18 590 

4 1051.55 8o Aug. 2 12 m. 1052.07 470 

5 1051.92 320 1 a.m. 1053.88 4,010 

6 1052.38 880 6 1053.58 3,300 Aug. 5 

7 1052.80 1,650 12 m. 1053.32 2,700 1 a.m. 1051.96 360 

8 1053~22 2,500 6 p.m. 1053.07 2,200 12 m. 1051.87 280 

10 1053-78 3,780 

12 m. 1054.18 4,790 Aug. 3 Aug. 6 

2 p.m. 1054.36 5,220 1 a.m. 1052.81 1,660 1 a.m. 1051.76 200 

6 1052.64 1,340 12 m. 1051.67 150 

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Wichita River at Wichita Falls, Tex. ' 

I...ocation. '- Lat. 33°54' 33'', . long ~ 98°32 '05'' at _Tenth Street bridge in 

·wichita Falls, Wichita County, 7 miles upstrealn from Holliday Creek. 

Datum of _ gage is-924.3 feet above mean sea level, d.S.tum of 1929. _ 

Drainage area.- 3,105 square miles, of which 1,988square miles is above 

Lake Kemp dam. 

Gage-height record.- From graph based on wire-weight gage readings. 

Discharge record.- Stage-discharge relation defined by current-meter 

measurements. 

Maxima.- Aug. 1950: Discharge, 9,000 second-feet at 1:30 a.m. Aug. 4 

(gage height, 21.42 feet). 

1938-49: Discharge, 17,800 second-feet Oct. 3, 1941 (gage height, 

24.00 feet). 

Maximum discharge known prior to the completion of Lake Kemp, 50,000 

second-feet June 8, 1915, computed by Vernon L .. Sullivan, engineer for 

Big Wichita River Irrigation Co. 

Remarks.- Flow partly regulated by Lake Kemp (capacity 438,000 acre-feet). 

Storage in Lake Kemp increased about 31,400 acre-feet as a result of 

inflow from the Aug. 1 storm. No water was released from Lake Kemp 

during the period Aug. 1-6. 

Mean discharge, in second-feet, and runoff in acre-feet, 1950. 

Day Second-feet Acre-feet Day Second-feet Acre-feet 

Aug. Aug. 

1 1,660 3,290 4 7,8oo 15,470 

2 5,180 10,270 5 4,540 9,000 

3 8,280 16,420 6 1,760 3 490 - - --- ·- '--·-·-'...1..::..:- . - Runoff: in acre-feet for eriod Au 0 1-6. . ••••••• 4o ' p g 57,9 

Gage-heightj in feet,and discharge, in second-feet, at indicated time, 1950 

Hour Feet Sec.-ft. Hour Feet Sec .. -ft. Hour Feet Sec.-ft. 

July 31 (Aug. 1 cont.) (Aug. 2 cont. 

1 a.m. 4 .. 25 313 10 a.m. 6.76 1,100 3 a.m. 13.72 3,830 

12 m. 4.o8 261 12 m. 7.82 1,460 6 14 .. 52 4,180 

6 p.m. 3.88 202 2 p.m. 9.00 1,940 9 15.35 4,580 

4 9.88 2,280 12 m. 16.38 5,160 

Augo 1 6 10.80 2,640 3 p.m. 17 .. 25 5,710 

1 a.m. 4.20 298 8 11.67 2,990 6 18.02 6,210 

4 4.58 420 10 12.38 3,270 9 18.72 6,660 

6 5.20 604 

8 5.94 840 Aug. 2 Aug" 3 

1 a.m., l3o20 3,610 1 a.m. 19.44 7,220 
16 

Wichita River at Wichita Falls, -Tex. (Cont 'd) 

Gage-height, in feet, and discharge, in sec:ond-feet 

4 a.m. '8 

12 m. 

4 p.m. 

8 

Aug. 4 

1 a.m. 21.42 

12 m. 21.10 

4 p.m. 20.77 

7,600 

8,000 

8,350 

8,660 

8,880 

9,000 

8,200 

7,700 

Aug . 5 

1 ai~m. 

3 a,.m. 

6 

9 

12 m. 

3 p.m. 

6 

19.25 

18.80 

18.03 

17.14 

16.16 

15.03 

13.82 

7,210 

6,480 

6,120 

5,600 

5,010 

4,500 

4,020 

3,550 

Aug •. 5 eont. 

9 p.m.. 12.56 

Aug. 6 

1 a.m. 

3 

6 

9 

12 m. · ~ p.m. 

8 

10.90 

10.o8 

9.26 

8.77 

8.41 

8.07 

7.82 

3,090 

2,510 

2,23{) 

1,940 

1,780 

1,660 

1,540 

1,450 
17 

Little Wichita River near Archer City, Tex. 

Location.- Lat. 33°40', long. 98°36', at bridge on State Highway 79, 1.5 

miles downstream from confluence of North and Middle Forks, and 4.8 

miles north of Archer City, Archer County. Datum of gage is 934.72 

feet above mean sea level, datum of 1929. 

Drainage area.- 496 square miles. 

Gage-height recorde- Water-stage recorder graph. 

Discharge record.- Stage-discharge relation defined by current-meter measurements. 

Maxima.- Aug. 1950: Discharge, 15,100 second-feet at 4 p.m. Aug. 2 (gage 

height, 25.91 feet). 

1932-49: Discharge, 17,900 second-feet, Oct. 31, 1941 (gage height, 26.18 feet). 

Remarks.- Flow partly regulated by Lake Kickapoo on North Fork. Lake 

Kickapoo full and discharging over spillway during period Aug. 1-6. 

Flow at high stages affected by natural storage in wide flood plain. 

Mean discharge, in second-feet, and runoff, in acre-feet, 1950 

Day Second-feet Acre-feet Day Second-feet Acre-feet 

Aug. Aug. 

1 614 1,220 4 4,400 8,730 

2 9,550 18,940 5 

3 9,100 18,050 6 

Runoff, in acre-feet, for period Aug. 6. 

2,970 

1,660 

5,890 

3,290 

.56,120 

Gage-h eight, in feet, and discharge, in second-feet, at indicated time, 1950 

Hour Feet Sec.-ft. Hour Feet Sec.-ft. Hour Feet Sec.-ft. 

July 31 (Aug. 1 cont.~ Aug. 4 

12 m. 5.03 43 10 p.m. 19.08 1,230 1 a.m. 24.99 6,000 

11:30 19.94 1,350 12 m. ·24.82 4,420 

Aug. 1 

1 a.m 0 5.02 42 Aug. 2 Aug. 5 

5 5.02 42 1 a.m. 21.07 1,550 1 a.m. 24.57 3,600 

6 5.45 88 2 21.82 1,720 6 24.39 3,300 

7 7 .. 40 180 4 23.17 2,180 12 m. 24.03 2;990 8 9.00 295 6 24.30 3,140 6 p.m. 23.62 2,680 

9 10.45 405 9 25.12 7,200 

10 11.72 505 12 m. 25.70 13,200 Aug. 6 

11 12.80 595 4 p .. m. 25.91 15,100 1 a .. m. 22.90 2,230 

12 m 0 13.72 674 8 25.84 14,400 4 22.56 2,050 

1 p .. m . 14.60 753 11:30 25 .. 71 13,200 8 22.00 1,840 

2 15.30 818 12 m. 21.28 1,630 

4 16.33 915 Aug. 3 3 p.mc 20.68 1,490 

6 17 .. 18 1,000 1 a.m. 25.65 12,600 6 19 .. 96 1,350 8 17 .. 97 1,090 6 25.46 10,800 .9 19.17 1,240 

12 ni. 25.26 8,800 11 18.62 1,170 

6 p.m. 25.10 7,200 
18 

Red River .near Terral, Okla. 

Location.- Lat. 33°52'50", long. 97°56'15", at bridge on U. S. Highway 81, 

1.2 miles south of Terral, Jefferson County, and 3.2 miles downstream 

fro~ Little Wichita River. Datum of gage is 770 .. 31 feet above mean 

sea level, datum of 1929. 

Drainage area.- 28,280 square miles, of which 5,440 square miles is probably 

noncontributing. 

Gage-height record .. - Water-stage recorder graph. 

Discharge record.- Stage-discharge relation defined by current-meter 

measurements. 

Maxima.- Aug. 1950: Discharge, 25,800 second-feet at 1 p.m. Aug. 2 {gage 

height, 17.36 feet). 

1938-49: Discharge, 197,000 second-feet June 8, 1941 (gage height, 28.12 feet). 

Remarks .. - Flow slightly regulated by Lake Kemp on Wichita River in Baylor 

County, Tex. 

Mean discharge in second feet and runoff in acre feet 1950 ' - ,, ' - Day Second-feet Acre-feet Day Second-feet Acre-feet ' 

Aug. Aug. 1 8,320 16,500 4 20,300 40,260 

2 23,100 45,820 5 15,800 31,340 

3 21,700 43,040 6 12,600 24,990 

Runoff ' in acre-feet ' for p eriod Au g . 1-b . . . 0 . .. . 201 ,95 0 

Gage-height, in feet, and discharge, in second-feet indicated time 1950 

Hour Feet Sec .. ..;'ft .. Hour Feet Sec.-ft. Sec.-ft. 

July 31 Aug. 2 cont. 

1 a.m. 14.72 8,390 6 a.m. 16 .. 87 21,700 22,400 

12 m .. 14 .. 50 7,780 9 17.06 24,000 

1 p.m. 17.36 25,800 Aug. 5 

Aug. 1 6 17.30 25,100 1 a.m. 16.85 20,900 

1 a.m. 14.11 7,880 6 16 .. 47 18,400 

6 13 .. 96 6,550 Aug. 3 12 m. 15.94 14,600 

12 m. 14.13 6,900 1 a.m. 17.19 24,200 6 p .. m. 15.77 13,500 

4 p .. m .. 14.44 7,610 12 m .. 16.75 20,900 

6 14 .. 88 8,940 6 p .. JJ1. 16.80 20,900 Aug. 6 

8 15 .. 40 11,400 1 a .. m., 15 .. 73 13,400 

10 15 .. 82 13,800 Aug. 4 12 m. 15 .. 61 12,700 

1 a .. m .. 16 .. 62 19,500 

Aug. 2 6 16 .. 40 17,900 

1 a.m. 16.27 16,900 12 m. 16.66 19,700 

3 16.48 18,500 3 p.m. 16.84 20,900 

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