If you do not need this report after it has served your purpose, please return it to 

the Geological Survey, using the official mailing label at the end

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Harold L. Ickes, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. C. Mendenhall, Director

Water-Supply Paper 796 B 

FLOOD ON

REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS 

MAY AND JUNE 1935

BY

ROBERT FOLLANSBEE AND J. B. SPIEGEL

Contributions to the hydrology of the United States. 1937 

(Pages 21-52)

UNITED STATES

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON : 1937

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. ------ Price 15 cents
CONTENTS

Page

Abstract............................................................. 21

Introduction......................................................... 22

Acknowledgments...................................................... 23

Rainfall............................................................. 24

Causes and Intensity............................................ 24

Area of heavy rainfall.......................................... 25

Topography of the Republican River-Kansas River Basin................ 29

Flood discharges..................................................... 52

General features................................................ 32

Progress of flood crests........................................ 33

Duration of flood crest......................................... 35

Crest discharge................................................. 37

Loss of life and damage to property.................................. 40

Dally discharge at gaging stations................................... 44

Previous floods...................................................... 49

Revision of records for 1903......................................... 51

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page 

Plate 10. Isohyetal map of Republican River-Kansas River Basin

and adjacent regions showing total rainfall in inches 

observed for May 27 to June 2, 1935..................... 28

11. A, Kansas River at Topeka, Kans., June 5, 1935;

B, Solomon River at Beloit, Kans., June 3, 1935;

C, Republican River west of Culbertson, Nebr.,

June 11, 1935........................................... 36

12. A, Republican River at Cambridge, Nebr., June 1, 1935j

B, Republican River at Red Cloud, Nebr., June 2, 1935... 36

13. Hydrographs of flood stages on Republican and Kansas

Rivers, June 1-11, 1935................................. 36

14. A, Republican River at Scandla, Kans., June 2, 1935;

B, Republican River at Wakefield, Kans., June 3, 1935... 36

15. Location of gaging stations in Republican River-Kansas

River drainage basin.................................... 44

Figure 6. Cloudburst storm in upper part of Republican River

drainage basin, May 30-31, 1935......................... 28

II
FLOOD OH REPUBLICAN AMD KANSAS RIVERS. MAY AND JUNE 1955

By Robert Follansbee and J. B. Spiegel

ABSTRACT

An unusually heavy storm of cloudburst Intensity In eastern Colorado 

and western Nebraska during the night of May 30-31, 1935, which followed 

two periods of general rainfall over the Republican-Kansas River Basin 

earlier in the month, produced the greatest flood of record in the upper 

part of this basin and a flood nearly as great as any previously recorded 

on the lower part of the basin below Junction City, EJans.

The area of heaviest rainfall contained no precipitation stations of 

the United States Weather Bureau, but records obtained by local residents 

who measured the rainfall in miscellaneous .receptacles indicate that the 

precipitation was 18 to 24 inches at some places in the upper part of the 

Republican-Kansas River Basin during the night of May 30-31. During the 

period May 26 to June 2 the storm extended over the greater part of the 

basin, causing local floods on many rivers in Nebraska and Kansas*

The South Pork of the Republican River and the Arikaree River were 

the principal sources of the flood and had the highest crest discharges 

in second-feet per square mile of any rivers in the basin, the crest discharge of the South Pork of the Republican River at Newton, Colo., being 

about 103,000 second-feet or 81.2 second-feet per square mile of drainage area. The crest discharge in second-feet continued to increase as 

the flood passed down the river until a maximum discharge of about 

280,000 second-feet occurred between Cambridge and Arapahoe, Nebr. Below this point the effects of channel and flood-plain capacity in reducing the crest discharge were sufficient to offset the inflow from tributary streams, so that there was a flattening of the flood crest and a 

gradual reduction in the magnitude of the crest discharge to 170,000 

second-feet at Ogden, Kans., and 120,000 second-feet at the mouth of the 

Kansas River at Kansas City, Kans.

The loss of life was greatest in the upper parts of the valley in 

Colorado and Nebraska, where the flood occurred at night. A total of 

110 lives were lost. The loss of livestock was 20,593. More than 

275,000 acres of farm land were damaged, most of which contained growing 

crops or hay. Several hundred miles of highways and railroads were destroyed or damaged, also 515 highway bridges and many railroad bridges. 

The number of homes destroyed or damaged was very large, especially in 

the upper part of the valley, where the water rose to unprecedented 

heights. In Kansas 1,485 homes and 1,552 buildings other than homes 

were flooded.

The river measurement stations maintained by the Geological Survey 

and cooperating parties in Nebraska and Kansas were in operation throughout the period of the flood with the exception of 5 stations that were 

destroyed or rendered inoperative. Determinations of discharge at these 

5 stations were made from flood marks and data obtained by observers. In 

addition to information regarding maximum discharges at stations on the 

Republican and Kansas Rivers during the flood of May and June 1935, contained elsewhere in this report, the mean daily discharge for this period 

for 32 stations in the Republican-Kansas River Basin is given in the 

tables.

It appears that other floods, especially that of May and June 1903, 

have been greater than that of May and June 1935 for the Kansas River below Junction City, although the flood of 1935 was the greatest flood that 

had occurred in the upper part of the Republican-Kansas River Basin during the period of historical record. The flood that occurred in the 

spring of 1844 apparently exceeded the flood of 1903 in the lower part of 

the basin and is believed to be the maximum flood of record on the Kansas 

River, although no definite information is available as to its height or 

magnitude.

21
22 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937

INTRODUCTION

After a month of greater than normal precipitation, exceptionally 

heavy rains during the night of May 30-31, followed by moderately heavy 

rainfall during the next 2 days, caused the greatest flood on the Republican River that had occurred during a period of at l<5ast 70 years and, considering its magnitude as compared with other known floods of the Republican River, probably the greatest flood for a much longer period.

The Republican River Valley from the eastern part of Colorado to Junction City, Kans., a distance of over 350 miles, was overflowed for a width 

ranging from three-quarters of a mile to l£ miles, with a loss of more than 

100 lives, the destruction of much livestock and most of the buildings in 

the overflowed area, and great damage to thousands of acres of rich farm 

land by deposits of sand brought down by the flood waters. Nearly all the 

highway bridges over the river were either destroyed or rendered impassable, 

and the highway along the valley was washed out in many places. On the 

main line of the Burlington Route from Chicago and St. Louis to Denver about 

40 miles of track was destroyed, and the line was out of commission for 3 

weeks.

The high water in the Kansas River Valley below Junction City, Kans., 

was caused primarily by the flood of the Republican River rather than by 

flood water from other tributaries. At the time the peak of the Republican 

River flood reached Junction City the Smoky Hill River, which unites with 

the Republican River to form the Kansas River at Junction City, was supplying less than 8 percent of the total flow measured at Ogden, Kans., 7.5 

miles below Junction City. The Big Blue River, which joins the Kansas 

River from tlie north at Manhattan, was at bank-full stage because of heavy 

rainfall over parts of its drainage basin in southeastern Nebraska and 

northeastern Kansas and added about 22 percent to the flow of the Kansas 

River at Manhattan. Other tributaries Joining the Kansas River below Manhattan were not at abnormally high stages, and therefore the temporary 

storage afforded by channel capacity served to reduce the peak discharge 

from about 190,000 second-feet, estimated as the sum of the discharges of 

the Kansas and Big Blue Rivers at Manhattan, to about 177,000 second-feet 

at Wamego, 154,000 second-feet at Topeka, and 122,000 second-feet at 

Bonner Springs, Kans. It is probable that the peak of the discharge of 

the Big Blue River reached Manhattan ahead of the peak in the Kansas River 

by a few hours, but their identities were merged at Wamego. Because of
FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1955 25

the reduction in peak discharge by the time the flood peak reached Kansas 

City, the levees were able to pass it safely into the Missouri River.

ACKNOWLEDCMENTS

The Missouri River division of the Corps of Engineers, United States 

Army, Kansas City, Mo., has furnished data on topography and river profiles, together with other information obtained by that office in connection with its studies of floods in the Kansas River Basin, including detailed studies of precipitation records and data regarding loss of life 

and damage to property. The United States Weather Bureau furnished timely 

information concerning the extent and progress of the flood along the lower valley of the Republican River and Kansas River in Kansas, and precipitation data obtained at various places in Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas.

L. T. Burgess, chief hydrographer in the office of the Colorado State 

engineer, assisted in collecting field data in Colorado. Eads Lehman, of 

Idalla, Colo., furnished estimates of flood losses in Colorado. J. M. 

Sherier, meteorologist, United States Weather Bureau, Denver, Colo., gave 

information regarding the origin and nature of the storm of May 30-31. 

A. C. Tilley, State engineer of Nebraska, and G. S. Knapp, chief engineer, 

division of water resources, Kansas State Board of Agriculture, supplied 

data regarding flood losses in Nebraska and Kansas, and the Kansas State 

Highway Commission supplied data on cross sections and estimates of flood 

damages to highway structures and loaned airplane photographs. Engineers 

of the division of water resources, Kansas State Board of Agriculture, 

collaborated in making discharge measurements and in obtaining data at 

river measurement stations in Kansas. Acknowledgments to local residents 

and others are given throughout the report.

The field work in Colorado and Nebraska was done under the direction 

of Robert Pollansbee and was begun June 5 by J. H. Baily, assisted by 

M. C. Boyer and H. H. Odell. The field work in Kansas was done by J. B. 

Spiegel, assisted by Charles Wells and R. V. Siarha. Computations and 

office studies were made by Follansbee and Baily for areas in Colorado 

and Nebraska and by Spiegel for stations in Kansas. Recomputations of 

discharge for the flood of 1903, which are included as a part of this report, were prepared by G. R. Williams r The individual reports prepared by 

Follansbee and Spiegel were reviewed and correlated by C. H. Pierce.
24 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937

RAINFALL

Causes and intensity

%

The immediate cause of the flood was a rainfall of cloudburst intensity in eastern Colorado and western Nebraska during the night of May 

30-31. During two periods earlier in the month general rainfall had occurred over the Republican-Kansas River Basin. In the first period, May 

12-22, from 2 to 5 inches of rain fell, and in the second period, May 

26-29, there was 1 inch or less over the area in northeastern Colorado, 

3 inches or more in aouthwestern Nebraska, and 6 inches at some places in 

eastern Kansas. As a result of these two periods of rainfall the rivers 

reached fairly high stages a few days before the time of the major flood, 

and the soil was in condition to afford a high percentage of run-off from 

the storm of May 30-31. In Nebraska and Kansas the flood was augmented 

by heavy rains that occurred during the next 2 days. (See pi. 10.)

The daily weather maps for the period from May 28 to June 3 show that 

an area of high pressure (more than 30.1 inches) appeared over the province of Alberta on May 28. J,t gradually worked eastward and by May 31 

was located over the Great Lakes, and the pressure had increased to 30.2 

inches. On May 28 an area of low pressure (29.7 inches) was present over 

Arizona, and by May 30 it had moved over New Mexico, with a pressure of 

29.65 inches. On the evening of May 30 the low area was over southwestern 

Colorado, and its trend was northeastward, toward the high-pressure area* 

As the circulation of air around a low-pressure area is counterclockwise, 

the air currents on the south side had an easterly and northerly direction, 

bringing in warm moisture-laden air fran the Gulf region. At the same time 

the direction of the air currents from the south side of the high-pressure 

area was westerly and southerly, carrying moisture from the Lake region. 

There were thus two bodies of moisture-laden air moving in opposite directions, and at their line of contact heavy precipitation occurred, which 

on the night of May 30 was concentrated in eastern Colorado and western 

Nebraska. Experience has shown that the relative positions of the highpressure and low-pressure areas at that time are those which are most 

favorable for heavy precipitation in southeastern Colorado.

In Nebraska heavy rains that fell around Hayes Center and other points 

in the Republican River Basin added their quota to the run-off, which moved 

down the valley so rapidly that the successive rises in river stages so 

noticeable in western Nebraska were obliterated before the flood reached
FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AMD KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 25

the Kansas-Nebraska State line about midnight on June 1. Rains in Kansas 

were heavy enough to create local floods on many rivers. These floods occurred slightly in advance of the arrival of the flood in the Republican 

River Basin and served to rob the onrushing waters from Nebraska of the 

channel storage and discharge capacity of the river.

Area of heavy rainfall

The storm that caused the heavy rainfall in the Republican River Basin 

during the night of May 30-31 began just east of the mountains in the forenoon of May 30, and in that area local residents measured, chiefly during 

the afternoon, as much as 20 inches (including some hail) in stock tanks. 

This storm followed a general northeasterly direction across the headwaters 

of the Republican River and ended a few miles east of Curtis, Nebr., on 

May 31. The air-line distance from the head of the Republican River in 

northeastern Colorado to Curtis, is 215 miles. Within this area the rainfall was concentrated chiefly in the basin of the South Pork of the Republican River but extended along the low ridge dividing that basin from 

the basin of the Arikaree River nearly to Benkelman, Nebr. Outside this 

concentrated area there were undoubtedly small areas of intensive rainfall, as shown by the record of 11 inches in sec. 24, T. 6 S., R. 55 W., 

but only 1 inch 2 miles farther south. The accompanying Isohyetal map 

(fig. 6), shows the distribution of rainfall from the cloudburst storm 

of May 30-31, as plotted from data obtained'by local residents. In the 

vicinity of McCook, Nebr., a tornado appeared on the afternoon of May 31 

at the time of the flood crest, and a strong east wind brought clouds of 

dust to that areaA

Unfortunately, the areas of heaviest rainfall contained no Weather 

Bureau precipitation stations, and it was therefore necessary, in determining the location and approximate amount of rainfall, to obtain from 

local residents such information as could be furnished by those who had 

measured the rainfall in .Improvised rain gages. Reports of such measurements in northeastern Colorado, southwestern Nebraska, and northwestern 

Kansas, together with data reported by the Weather Bureau from its stations in those areas, are listed in the following table:
Bainfall daring night of May 30-31, 1935, at places in northeastern Colorado, 

w^stern Kansas as compiled from statements of local residents and from U. 

Place Bainfall 

(inches)

Method of measurement 

Colorado

Sec. 2, T. 7 S., B. 56 W.... 

Sec. 26, T. 7 S., B. 56 W... 

Sec. 19, T. 58., R. 55 W... 

Sec. 31, T. 5 S., R. 55 W... 

Sec. 24, T. 68., R. 55 W... 

Sec. 36, T. 68., R. 55 W.. 

Genoa, seo. 12, T. 9 S., R. 

Sec. 1, T. 9 S., R. 55 W... 

Seo. 19, T. 7 S., B, 54 W.. 

Arriba, seo. 1, T. 9 S., R.

55 W. 

53 W.

SOagler, seo. 2, T. 9 S., R. 51 W......

Hear Cope, seo. 1, T. 4 S., B. 50 W....

Hear Cope, seo. 31, T. 4 8., B. 49 W... 

Seibert, seo. 34, T. 5 S., R. 49 W.....

Hear Seibert, seo. 11, T. 8 S., R. 49 W

Hear Cope, seo. 28, T. 5 S., R. 49 W... 

Near Joes, seo. 5 T. 5 S., R. 48 W.....

Joes, seo. 6 T. 5 S., R. 47 W..........

Do.......................

Stratton, seo. 36, T. 8 S. ( R. 47 V....

Burlington, seo. 33, T. 8 8., R. 45 W.. 

Idalia, seo. 16, T. 4 S.» R. 44 W......

Hear Idalia, seo. 22, T. 4 S., B. 44 W.

Hear Idalia, seo. 33, T. 4 S., B. 44 V.

Hear JTewton, seo. 10, T. 5 S., R. 44 V.

Hear Hewton, seo. 14, I. 5 S., R. 44 W.

Hear JTewton, seo. 23, T. B 8., B. 44 V.

2

2

4

4

11

1

3

6

8

2.5

4.5

1.55

7

13

4

7

7.5

7.25

0.2

0.1

4.5

5.5

10

12.88

18

Measured in oan.......................

......do..............................

Reported (method not stated)..........

Measured in oan.......................

Measured in paint oan.................

Measured in oan.......................

Bain and bail (measured in oan).......

Water standing on ground..............

Can overflowed........................

Storm did not touch Arriba; blacic clou

in all directions (Weather Bureau sta

Measured in glass-tube rain gage.....

Measured in oil oan..................

Weather Bureau.......................

Measured in glass-tube rain gage.....

Measured in concrete tank............

Measured in 1-gallon fruit oan. 

Measured in oan................

Measured in 3-gallon oan.......

Measured in fruit oan..........

Reported by Weather Bureau.....

.do.

In oan...................

Measured in vertioal oan.

18-lnoh cement tank more than half fu

Measured in stock tank with vertioal 

Measured in oil barrel...............

Two severe storms....................
FLOOD OH REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 27

1O <» «0 I

-e e e e CM » 

 » oo

Is 1

S . . . . .88 trills" TO.

. to » a10 . .

I

en

«

^i

C4 

MM

O *

<D a 

a -<

a 

 rt tl

M 

el

03 IO

si

14Pi 

 n 10 «*s

B . 

 fe s

Jl i

§) B 

*rl Pi 

a in ft u-iS

9 O ~

.. s «U I

»!*;

 Sol 13 1ft 4» <H

oo^SS P » «0

o 4* M I

B .5 «

*<+> +>

ft&

s
FIGURE 6-CLOUDBURST STORM IN UPPER PART OF REPUBLICAN RIVER 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

43

WATEH-SUPPLY PAPEK 796 PLATE 10

41

104°

126843 37 (Pace p. 28)

p2°

ISOHYETAL MAP OF BASIN OF REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS SHOWING TOTAL RAINFALL IN INCHES OBSERVED FOR MAY 27 TO JUNE 2,1935.

FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1936 29

There were four distinct areas of intensive precipitation in central 

and northeastern Kansas during the period May 26 to June 2. These areas 

were centered in the vicinities of Plainville, Enterprise, Valley Palls, 

and Mankato. The area covered by the storm that centered at Mankato included a part of the drainage basin of the Solomon River, a tributary of 

the Smoky Hill River from the west. At Beloit, Kans. (pi. 11, B), the 

Solomon River reached a stage of 34.5 feet (discharge 37,800 second-feet) 

at 12i30 a.m. June 3, the highest stage since the river measurement station at that place was established in 1929. This stage also was higher 

than any flood stage at Beloit reported by the United States Weather 

Bureau since observations at that place were begun in 1905. During the 

same period there were heavy rains in the upper Big Blue River Basin over 

a somewhat elliptical area with its major axis approximated by a line 

drawn through the cities of Hebron and Western, in southeastern Nebraska.

TOPOGRAPHY OP THE REPUBLICAN RIVER-KANSAS RIVER BASIN

The area drained by the Republican River and its tributaries in 

eastern Colorado, northwestern Kansas, and southern Nebraska is a part of 

the Great Plains and has for its characteristic topography smooth, flat 

surfaces traversed by broad, shallow valleys. In portions of the basin, 

particularly near Haigler, Nebr., cross drainage cutting deeply into the 

underlying rock has produced deep canyons bordered by precipitous walls.

Trail Canyon, 4 miles east of Haigler, has a fall of 300 feet in less than

1 

2 miles. The northwestern part of the basin embraces a small portion of

the vast sand-hill area of western Nebraska, which is a region of rounded 

sand dunes and sand ridges. Owing to the light rainfall in the upper part 

of the basin, the boundaries of that part are poorly defined. The general 

altitude decreases from 5,500 feet at the western edge to 1,500 feet at 

the Nebraska-Kansas line.

The Arikaree River, which rises near Limon, Colo., and throughout 

much of its course is an intermittent stream, unites with the North Fork 

of the Republican River at Haigler, Nebr., to form the Republican River. 

From this Junction the Republican flows eastward to Benkelman, where it 

is joined by the South Fork. Its course is then generally eastward across 

southern Nebraska to a point 4 miles east of Superior, where it crosses 

the State line and continues in a southeasterly direction to Junction City,

1 Condra, Q. E., Geology and water resources of the Republican River 

Valley and adjacent areas, Nebraska: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 216, p. 8, 1907.
30 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937

Kans. At Junction City the Smoky Hill River, from the west, unites with 

the Republican River to form the Kansas River, which flows in a general 

easterly direction 136.8 valley miles to the Missouri River at Kansas City.

The entire Republican-Kansas River Valley is well provided with tributary streams, and numerous tributaries join the main river, both from the 

north and from the south. Many of these tributaries are comparatively 

short, with a total fall of 200 to 300 feet, so that storm run-off is delivered quickly from them to the main stream.

The Republican River flows through a valley which, throughout most of 

its course, has a width of 2 to 3 miles, with bordering uplands rising 100 

to 200 feet above the valley floor. The main valley and those of its principal tributaries are bordered by a definite system of terraces.

The topography of the Kansas River Valley, below Junction City is 

similar to that of the Republican River Valley except that the bordering 

uplands are lower and the river is somewhat meandering, with wide oxbows. 

The principal tributaries of the Republican-Kansas River system are listed 

in the following table:

Altitudes and distances in Republican-Kansas River Basin

(Figures in parentheses represent distances in river miles and the corresponding descent in feet per river mile. Other figures are ^for valley 

miles.)

Place

Arikaree River:

Cope, Colo.

North of Idalia, Colo.

Haigler, Nebr.

Republican River, Nebr.:

Haigler

Parks

Benkelman

South Pork of Republican

River i

Newton, Colo.

St. Francis, Kans.

Benkelman, Nebr.

Republican River, Nebr. i

Benkelman

Max

Trenton

Culbertson

McCook

Cambridge

Arapahoe

Oxford

Alma

Bloomington

Red Cloud

Superior

Hardy

Altitude 

at 

low water 

(feet)

4.160

3,600

3,245

3,245

3,090

2,955

3,535

3,275

2,955

2,955

2,890

2,650

2,560

2,475

2,240

2,140

2,045

1,925

1,820

1,670

1,535

1,505

Distance

i"rom 

Kansas 

City

520

489

462

462

451

439

489

464

439

439

431

411

401

391

366

352

338

320

302

274

249

242

(miles)

]?rom 

place to 

place

0 (0)

31 (35)

27 (28)

o (p)

11 (15)

12 (14)

0 (0)

25 (25)

25 (27)

0 (0)

8 (8)

20 (24)

10 (10)

10 (14)

25 (29)

14 (17)

14 (19)

18 (32)

18 (25)

28 (41)

25 (27)

7 (8)

Descent (feetj

Total

550

355

155

135

260

320

65

240

90

85

235

100

95

120

105

150

135

30

Per mile

17.7 (15.7)

13.1 (12.7)

14.1 (10.3)

11.2 (9.6)

10.4 (10.4)

12.8 (11.9)

8.1 (8.1)

12.0 (10.0)

9.0 (9.0)

8.5 (6.1)

9.4 (8.1)

7.1 (5.9)

6.8 (5.0)

6.7 (3,8)

5.8 (4.2)

5.4 (3.7)

5.4 (5.0)

4.3 (3.8)
FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 31 

Altitudes and distances In Republican-Kansas River Basin - Continued.

Altitude

of.

Place low water 

(feet)

Republican River, Kans.:

Scandia 1,424

Concordia 1,338

Clay Center 1,160

Wakefield 1,120

Milford 1,096

Junction City (water

plant) 1,056

Junction of Republican

River and Smoky Hill

River 1,047

Kansas River and tributaries, Kans.J

Ogden 1,022

Manhattan 989

Big Blue River 985

Wamego 955

Vermillion River 941

Topeka 866

Soldier Greek 854

Delaware River 824

Lecompton 823

Lawrence 800

Wakarusa River 780

Stranger Creek 770

Bonner Springs 748

Junction of Kansas River

and Missouri River 718

Smoky Hill River and tributaries, Kans. : 

Ellsworth 1,507

Lindsborg 1,298

Mentor 1,232

Salina 1,200

Saline River 1,175

Solomon River 1,140

Solomon 1,140

Abilene 1,128

Enterprise 1,100

Chapman 1,084

Junction City dam 1,055

Junction of Smoky Hill

River and Republican

River 1,047

Solomon River, Kans . :

Beloit 1,339

Summerville 1,235

Minneapolis 1,216

Bennington 1,186

Niles 1,162

Junction of Solomon

River and Smoky Hill

River 1,140

Distance

Prom 

Kansas 

City

225.3

207.3

170.3

156.8

150.0

138.7

136.8

129.3

117.8

116.3

103; 5

97.9

66.0

65.1

50.5

50.0

39.8

31.6

27.2

17.0

.0

251 .B

207 .8

193.0

185.8

180.4

172.6

172.5

164.0

158.4

152.4

139.1

136.8

230.6

201.8

196.1

186.9

179.6

172.6

(miles)

Prom 

place to 

place

16.7

18.0

37.0

13.5

6.8

11.3

1.9

7.5

11.5

1.5

12.8

5.6

31.9

.9

14.6

.5

10.2

8.2

4.4

10.2

17.0

0

44.0

14.8

7.2

5.4

7.8

.1

8.5

5.6

6.0

13.3

2.3

.0

28.8

5.7

9.2

7.3

7.0

Descent

Total

81

86

178

40

24

40

9

25

33

4

30

14

85

2

30

1

23

20

10

22

30

209

66

32

25

35

12

28

16

29

8

104

19

30

24

22

(feet)

Per mile

4.8

4.8

4.8

3.0

3.5

3.6

4.7

3.3

2.9

2.7

2.3

2.5

2.7

2.2

2.1

2.0

2.3

2.4

2.3

2.2

1.8

4.8

4.5

4.4

4.6

4.5

1.4

5.0

2.7

2.2

3.5

3.6

3.3

3.3

3.3

3.1
32 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937

FLOOD DISCHARGES 

General features

The South Pork of the Republican River and to a lesser degree the 

Arikaree River were the principal sources of the flood, ^ae first crest in 

the Arikaree originated near Haigler, Nebr., owing to tL*» heavy rains in 

that vicinity, and was of short duration, although reaching a stage only 18 

inches lower than that of the second crest. The discharge at Haigler was 

about 20,000 second-feet.

The main flood on the Arikaree River originated some distance west of 

Cope, Colo., where a heavy rain started at 6 p.m. May 30. The river started to rise shortly afterward and continued to rise slowly until about 3 

a.m., then rose 4 inches in 15 minutes to its crest of about 6 feet. The 

discharge was 25,000 second-feet. At this time the water was l£ feet deep 

in the main street of Cope, but by early forenoon the river was back in 

its banks.

Ten miles north of Idalia, Colo., the river rose to its crest of 9 

feet about 7:30 a.m. and remained at that point for 2^ hours and then fell 

slowly. The crest discharge was later found to be 54,000 second-feet.

The heavy rain in the vicinity of Haigler, Nebr., caused the river to 

rise during the night to a stage of 10.2 feet, which was reached about 

4:30 a.m. This stage was of short duration, and by 8 a.m. it had fallen 

4 feet. At that time the flood from the upper river began to arrive, and 

by 11:30 a.m. the flood reached a stage of 11.8 feet, which was maintained 

for 3 hours. The fall was gradual from the crest discharge of 50,000 

second-feet. Being on high ground, the town of Haigler suffered little 

damage. The railroad and highway bridges west of Haigler were destroyed, 

and the river cut a new channel 300 feet wide and several hundred feet long, 

eliminating a bend in the old channel.

At Parks, Nebr., the first rise started at 4:30 a.m. and reached its 

crest at 7 a.m. Two hours later the river started to fall and by 11 a.m. 

was back in its banks. At that time the second rise started, and by 1:30 

p.m. the river had reached a higher crest than before. This high stage was 

maintained for several hours, and then the river fell slowly, and by the 

next day it was back in its banks. As Parks is on low ground, much of the 

town was flooded and considerable damage was done to buildings, some of 

them being moved from their foundations.
FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 33

The South Pork of the Republican River and the Arlkaree River both had 

two distinct flood crests several hours apart. On the South Pork the first 

crest was the larger of the two and coincided at Benkelman, Nebr., with the 

first crest coming from the Arlkaree. The second crest on the Arlkaree was 

somewhat larger than the first, and the two crests were distinguishable on 

the Republican River at Max, Nebr., 8 miles below the junction, but the 

second crest either flattened out or merged with the first some distance 

below that point.

At Benkelman heavy rain began about 9 p.m., and by 11 p.m. torrents 

of water from nearby hillsides were flowing over the highway at the lower 

edge of the town to a depth of 18 inches. At- 3 a.m. the flood advance 

reached Benkelman, and by 5 a.m. the river bottoms were covered. The water 

continued to rise gradually until 9 a.m., when the crest stage of 10 feet 

was attained and the water almost reached the tracks of the Chicago, Burlington & Quinoy Railroad at the railroad station. At this time the flood 

crest from the South Pork reached Benkelman and was the chief factor in 

flooding this vicinity during the time of the first crest from the Republican River above Benkelman, The flood from both streams remained at the 

crest stage about 4 hours and then started to fall. Within an hour, however, the second crest from the Republican River arrived, and the water 

rose to a new crest about 3:30 p.m., which was maintained until 5 p.m., 

when the river started to fall and receded slowly until the next morning 

it was back in its banks.

The Aristocrat, the fast train of the Burlington Route from Denver 

to Chicago, reached Benkelman Just ahead of the flood and was marooned 

there for several weeks. Two days later, as soon as the highway was passable, the passengers were taken by motor cars to the Union Pacific Railroad at Ogalalla and sent on their eastward journey.

Progress of flood crests

The following tables, based on records at gaging stations and statements of local observers, show the approximate time of the crest and Its 

rate of travel along the Arlkaree, South Pork of Republican, and Republican Rivers. As MoCook, about 50 miles below Benkelman, is on the dividing line between Mountain and Central standard time, all time reported 

locally has been referred to Central time.
54 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1957

Progress of flood crests on the Arikaree and Republican rivers 

above Benkelman, Nebr., May 51, 1955

(The distances are valley miles, which represent more closely than river 

miles the distances traveled by the flood crest.)

 Approximate Elapsed Rate of Crest

Point on river time of crest time Distance travel (miles . discharge

______________(Central time) (hours) (milea) per hour) (sec.-ft,)

First crest, which coincided with main flood on 

the South Pork of the Republican River

Arikaree at

Haigler, Nebr. 

Republican at

Parks, Nebr. 

Republican above

Bankelman, Nebr.

4:30 a.m.

7 a.m.

9 a.m.

2.5 11

2 12

Second crest

4.4 

6.0

20,000

Arikaree at

Cope, Colo. 

Arikaree north

of Idalia, Colo. 

Arikaree at

Haigler, Nebr. 

Republican at

Parks, Nebr. 

Republican above

Benkelman, Nebr.

5:15 a.m. 

7:50 a.m. 

11:30 a.m. 

1:30 p.m. 

3:50 p.m.

0.0

4.25

4

2

2

0

51

27

11

12

7.5 

6.8 

5.5 

6.0

25,000

54,000

50,000

Progress of flood crest on South Pork of Republican River and on Republican River between Benkelman, Nebr., and Junction City, Kans«

(Distances are valley miles.)

Point on river

Newton, Colo.

St. Francis,

Kans.

Benkelman, Nebr.

Max

Trenton

Culbertson

McCook

Cambridge

Oxford

Bloomington

Franklin

Superior

Hardy

Scandia, Kans,

Concordia

Clay Center

Wake field

Milford

Junction City

(water plant)

Approximate Elapsed Rate of 

time of crest time Distance travel (miles 

(Central tlmej) (hours) (miles) per hour)

May 31, 3 a.m.

4 a.m.

9 a.m.

9:45 a.m.

Noon

1:30 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

8 p.m.

June 1, 1 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

Noon

June 2, 1 a.m.

2:50 a.m.

6 a.m.

11:50 a.m.

June 3, 2 a.m.

7 a.m.

10 a.m.

2 p.m.

0

1

5

.75

2.25

1.5

2

4.5

5

9.5

1.5

15

1.5

5.5

5.5

14.5

5

3

4

0

25

25

8

20

10

10

25

28

36

4

49

7

16.7

18.0

57.0

15.5

6.8

11.3

#

5.0

10.7

8.9

6.7

5.5

5.6

5.6

3.8

2.7

5.8

4.7

4.8

3.3

2.6

2.7

2.5

2.8

Crest 

discharge 

(sec. -ft.)

190,000

245,000

«*

260,000

225,000

215,'QOO

195,000

$168,000

# Not comparable, as rainfall on intermediate areas increased the discharge .

*» The maximum crest discharge occurred between Cambridge and Arapahoe, 

aftd is estimated as about 280,000 second-feet. 

J Above mouth of Smoky Hill River.
FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 35

Progress of flood crest on Kansas River between Junction City and 

Kansas City, Kans., June 3-7, 1935

(Distances are valley miles.)

Point on river

Junction City 

(Below Smoky

Hill River)

Ogden

Manhattan

(Above Big

Blue River)

(Below Big

Blue River)

Wamego

Topeka

Bonner Springs

Kansas City

Approximate Elapsed Rate of Crest 

time of crest time Distance travel (miles discharge 

(Central time) (hours) (miles) per hour) (sec.-ft.)

June

June

June

June

June

June

3,

4,

4,

5,

6,

7,

2 p.m.

9 1 30

5:30

do

3:30

p.m.

a.m.

p.m.

2 p.m.

8:10 p.m.

5 a.m.

7.5

8.0

10.0

22.5

30.1

8.8

7

11

14

37

49

17

.5

.5

.3

.5

.0

.0

1

1

1

1

1

1

.0

.4

.4

.7

.6

.9

179,

170,

160,

190,

177,

154,

122,

120,

000

000

000

000

000

000

000

000

Note.- The flood peaks at Bonner Springs and at Kansas City were flat 

and of long duration; therefore it was difficult to determine the exact times 

of the momentary maxima at those places. The determination of the crest discharge at Kansas City is only approximate.

Duration of flood crest

North of Seibert, Colo., the Republican River rose quickly to its peak 

about midnight May 30-31 and remained there for about an hour, then receded 

gradually.

Near Newton, Colo. (sec. 20, T. 5 S., R. 43 W.), the river started to 

rise at 10 p.m. May 30 and reached a stage of 11 feet at 3 a.m. May 31. It 

then fell 2 feet during the next 2 hours and was back in its banks at a stage 

of 3 feet in the evening. The overflowed area had a width of 4,700 feet, and 

the water was about 8 feet deep. Only one crest was reported.

Below Newton, two crests developed because of the heavy rainfall northeast of that point. Near the Kansas-Nebraska line south of Benkelman, Nebr., 

a rancher measured the rise and fall of the river by means of 8-inch concrete 

blocks in the foundation of his residence near the river. At 11 p.m., although there was a heavy rain, no sign of a flood appeared, but by 3 a.m. the 

river had risen 7 feet, and at 9 a.m. it reached its crest of 10 feet. It 

then fell 2 feet during the next hour and rose to a second crest of 9.5 feet 

at 1:15 p.m. This second crest, like the first, was of short duration, and 

the river fell to a stage of 7.5 feet by 3 p.m. A third rise of half a foot 

occurred within the next hour, after which the water receded very slowly to 

the bank-full stage of 6 feet. The width of the overflowed area was threequarters of a mile.

At Max, Nebr., the river reached Its crest of 11.8 feet about 9:45 

a.m. and then fell to a gtage of 8.8 feet by 11 a.m. It reached a second
36 CONTRIBDTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937

crest of 11.2 feet at 2 p.m. This rise was of short duration, and the river 

again fell, reaching a stage of 8.6 feet by 4 p.m. and then falling more 

slowly until It was back In Its banks within a few hours. The width of the 

overflowed area was 4,000 feet.

The flood reached Trenton, Nebr., at 5 F.,TD., May 30, and 3 hours later 

It had spread out over the bottom lands for a width of three-quarters of a 

mile. It continued to rise until 1 p.m., when It had backed up to the town, 

and then receded slowly. About 3 p.m. a heavy rain from the northwest 

filled the ravines and creeks in the vicinity, and these added to the flood 

conditions caused by the Republican River.

The Culbertson Progress reported .that at the time the crest arrived at 

Culbertson Frenchman and Blackwood Creeks were overflowing their valleys 

and that the water of Frenchman Creek was over the tracks at the railroad 

bridge. The valley was overflowed for a width of 2 miles (pi. 11, C 1 ). The 

flood conditions at Cambridge, Nebr., about 35 miles below Culbertson, on 

June 1 are shown by plate 12, A,

At Bloomington, Nebr., the river rose from a stage of 7.5 feet at 6 

p.m. May 31 to the crest of 20.4 feet at 10:30 June 1 and then fell half 

a foot In the next 4 hours. Subsequently the fall was more rapid, the 

river receding to a stage of 13 feet at 8 a.m. June 2 and to 10.2 feet 24 

hours later. The width of the overflowed area was 1-J miles. Plate 12, B, 

shows the water at the highway bridge at Red Cloud, about 25 miles below 

Bloomington, on June 2.

The duration of the flood at Hardy, Nebr., Is shown by the hydrograph 

obtained by the water-stage recorder at the gaging station, here reproduced (pi. 13). This hydrograph shows that a crest stage of 19.4 feet 

was reached at 2:30 a.m. June 2.

The flood crest reached Scandia, Kans., about 6 a.m. June 2, with a 

maximum stage of 17.8 feet. About an hour later the stage dropped about 

1 foot, as noted by eyewitnesses, and after that time the recession was 

more gradual until at 4 p.m. the gage height was about 14.2 feet, which 

was the same as the high-water mark of the 1915 flood. The high water at 

Scandia during the afternoon of June 2 Is shown in plate 14, A. The crest 

of the flood reached Wakefield, Kans., at about 7 a.m., June 3. Plate 

14, B, shows the flood stage about 1^ hours later. The accompanying diagrams (pi. 13) show the progress and duration of the flood crest at gagIng stations on the Republican, Kansas, and Big Blue Rivers In Kansas.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 796 PLATE 11

A. KANSAS RIVER AT TOPEKA, KANS., JUNE 5, 1935.

B. SOLOMON RIVER AT RELOIT, KANS., JUNE 3, 1935.

C. REPUBLICANJRIVER WEST OF CULHERTSON, NEBR., JUNE 11, 1935.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 796 PLATE 12

A. REPUBLICAN RIVER AT CAMBRIDGE, NEBR., JUNE 1, 1935.

B. REPUBLICAN RIVER AT RED CLOUD NEBR., JUNE 2, 1935.


U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 796 PLATE 14

A. REPUBLICAN RIVER AT SCANDIA, KANS., JUNE 3, 1935.

B. REPUBLICAN RIVER AT WAKEFIELD, KANS., JUNE 3, 1935.

FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 3V 

Crest discharge

In the upper valley the flood occurred during the night and came with 

little or no warning, so there was no opportunity to collect specific information regarding flood discharge until the area could be visited and surveys made of high-water marks and channel areas. Prom field surveys made 

soon after the flood, using well-defined high-water marks with measurements 

of slopes and overflow areas and observations of channel conditions that 

would assist In the selection of proper values of "n", determinations were 

made of the probable crest discharge at several places in the upper valley.

In the lower valley there were greater opportunities for obtaining 

field data while the flood was in progress, so that at gaging stations on 

the Republican River at Scandia and Clay Center, Kans., and on the Kansas 

River at Wamego and Topeka, Kans., determinations of velocity were made 

with current meters. Although current-meter measurements were not made at 

crest stages, the measurements that were obtained proved to be of great 

assistance in providing data for extension of rating curves, especially 

for the station on the Kansas River at Topeka (pi. 11, A), where a current-meter measurement was made at a stage of 26. 2 feet (discharge 145,000 

second-feet).

Prom data obtained at the river-measurement stations and at other 

places on the Republican and Kansas Rivers and their tributaries, the progress of the flood can be followed along the river, and an analysis can 

be made of the development of the crest discharge at the headwaters and the 

decrease in discharge as the crest moved down the valley from Newton, Colo., 

to Bonner Springs, Kans., a distance of 531 valley miles.

Starting near Seibert, Colo., where four small creeks unite to form 

the South Pork of the Republican River, the flow rapidly increased to 

103,000 second-feet near Newton, Colo., and to 150,000 second-feet at the 

Kansas-Nebraska line, 4 miles above the confluence with the Republican 

River at Benkelman, Nebr. With the addition of the smaller of the two 

crests from the Republican River, which coincided with the major crest in 

the South Pork, the flow at the Max gaging station, 8 miles below their confluence, was increased to 190,000 second-feet.

Sweeping onward, the crest was increased by the run-off from the heavy 

rains of the preceding 24 hours, which swelled the numerous ravines and larger tributaries, and by the time it reached McCook, Nebr., the discharge 

was 245,000 second-feet. East of McCook the heavy rains had brought to 

flood stage Red Willow and Medicine Creeks and the numerous ravines, which
38 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937

further increased the crest discharge to an estimated maximum of 280,000 

second-feet between Cambridge and Arapahoe.

Down to this point the effect of overflow storage in reducing the 

crest discharge was lost by the increase in discharge from the tributary 

streams, but after the flood crest passed out of the area of heavy rainfall 

the tributaries entering farther down did not bring in sufficient water to 

offset the effect of storage, which was provided by an average overflow 

width of about 1-^ miles and depths of overflow ranging from 7 to 10 feet. 

This effect was shown by the decrease in the crest flow to 260,000 secondfeet at Bloomington and to 225,000 second-feet at Hardy. Although heavy 

rains had occurred northwest of Superior during the night of May 31, the 

peak of the run-off from those rains had disappeared before the arrival 

of the crest moving down the Republican River. A summary showing crest discharge at river-measurement stations and at other points where determinations of crest discharge were made is given in the accompanying table.

As might be expected, the greatest discharge per square mile occurred 

in the area of heaviest precipitation, in the vicinity of Newton, Colo. 

The rainfall was not excessive west of a north-south line through Seibert, 

Colo., and to determine the run-off from the drainage area of 669 square 

miles between that line and Newton it is only necessary to deduct from the 

103,000 second-feet at Newton the discharge passing the north-south line 

through Seibert. Although this discharge was not measured, an inspection 

of the channels of the South Pork of the Republican River and Hell Creek, 

a tributary entering below, indicates that the combined flow passing the 

north-south line did not exceed 20,000 second-feet. Thus the maximum runoff from the area between Seibert and Newton was about 83,000 second-feet, 

or 124 second-feet per square mile.
FLOOD OH REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 39

Great discharge of the flood of May-June 1935 at pointa 

along the valley of the Republican and Kanaas Rivers.

Place Drainage area 

(square miles)

Great diacharge (aeeond-feet) 

TotaJ.____Per square mile

Arikaree Rivert

Cope, Colo. 690 25,000 

North of Idalia, Colo. 1,190 54,000 

Haigler, Nebr. 1,600 50,000 

South Pork of Republican River:

Newton, Colo. 1,270 103,000 

Kanaaa-Nebraaka line 2,550 150,000 

Republican Riven

Max, Nebr. 7,740 190,000 

McCook 12,000 245,000 

Cambridge (below

Medicine Creek) 14,200 280,000 

Bloomington 20,900 260,000 

Hardy 22,410 225,000 

Scandia, Eana. 22,930 215,000 

Clay Center 24,570 195,000 

Junction City (above

Smoky Hill River) 24,960 168,000 

Kansaa River:

Junction City (below

Smoky Hill River) 44,910 179,000 

Ogden 45,240 170,000 

Manhattani

Above Big Blue River 45,470 160,000

Below Big Blue River 55,070 190,000 

Wamego 55,240 177,000 

Topeka 56,710 154,000 

Lecompton 58,420 144,000 

Bonner Springa 59,890 122,000 

Kanaaa City 60,060 120,000

36.2

45.4

31.2

81.1

58.8

*32.5 

*#24.0

$32.8

12.4

10.0

9.4

7.9

6.7

4.0 

3,8

3.5 

3.4 

3.2 

2.7 

2.5 

2.0 

2.0

* The net area contributing to the flood and used in computing diacharge per square mile at Max, Nebr., waa 5,840 square miles.

*# The net area contributing to the flood and used in computing diacharge per aquare mile at McCook, Nebr., was 10,200 aquare milea.

$ The net area contributing to the flood and uaed in computing discharge per square mile at Cambridge, Nebr,, was 12,300 square miles.
40 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937 

LOSS OP LIFE AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY

In the upper valley the flood, coming at night with little or no warning, caused the loss of 40 lives. The progress of the flood was accompanied by a roar that could be heard for miles. One of the best accounts of 

its approach was given by J. H. Mullison, manager of the Southern Nebraska 

Power Co., who was observing the approach of the flood from high ground 

near Bostwjck, Nebr. While the flood was still several miles distant, he 

heard its roar, and when it appeared the advance was a mass of tumbling 

water and debris several feet in height, quickly filling the main channel, 

which at the point of observation was about 7 feet deep. Spreading out behind the advancing waves the flood quickly overflowed the bottom lands, 

giving the effect of an oncoming spearhead. Within a very short time the 

great quantity of tumbling debris blotted out the sight of the water itself. The flood made short work of bends and elbows in the old channel, 

taking the shortest course, which resulted in the formation of many new 

cut-off channels.

Below Trenton, Nebr., the rate of advance, which gradually decreased 

from 7 to 4 miles an hour, gave ample time for the escape of the dwellers 

in the lowlands, but many of them, not realizing the unprecedented height 

of the flood, could not believe that their homes were endangered and refused to heed the warnings. The flood rose quickly after its arrival and 

in many places out off escape, resulting in an additional death list of 

60 persons. Others escaped by the narrowest margin. In this stretch the 

greatest loss occurred in the vicinity of Oxford, where the flood occurred 

during the night and surprised dwellers in the lowland who were asleep. 

At points farther downstream, where the flood occurred during the daylight 

hours, loss of life was due to delay in seeking safety while trying to save 

livestock and personal property.

Near Benkelman, Nebr., a family of eight living on the river bottom 

was caught in the night and retreated to the attic. All were drowned when 

a further rise undermined the house and caused its collapse.

On the Republican River above Benkelman two people drifted for a distance of 8 miles on the roof of their house, and by the time it grounded 

on an island the area of their raft was reduced to less than a quarter of 

its original size through striking floating trees and wreckage.

In the vicinity of Max, Nebr., a family trapped in their home came 

safely through the flood because the builder of the house many years previously had visualized a possible flood of this magnitude and had reinforced
FLOOD OH REPUBLICAN AHD KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AHD JUNE 1935 41

the walls of the frame structure and anchored it to the concrete foundation 

by dozens of bolts. It withstood the flood safely.

Hear Culbertson, Hebr., a family of six lost their lives when their 

home was swept from its foundation and carried away. It crashed against a 

tree some distance downstream and was destroyed. The houae of another 

family in the same region was grounded after traveling a short distance 

and withstood the remainder of the flood. As an onlooker expressed it, 

"The next morning searchers saw the family outside the house drying clothing and cleaning mud from their home."

Trees lining the river banks prevented the loss of many lives. Hear 

Culbertson a family of 12 fleeing from the flood were trapped close to a 

large cottonwood, and by climbing among its branches all were saved. Similar deliverances occurred throughout the flood area. In several localities 

those marooned in trees reported that snakes, rats, and other animals 

sought similar refuge, and it was a battle not only to keep out of the 

water but also to keep the animals at a distance.

At MoCook, the largest city in the Nebraska portion of the valley, the 

flood submerged the electric-light plant located near the river bank some 

distance from the city and put the water system out of commission. The 

city itself, being chiefly on high ground, was submerged only to a very 

small extent.

Cambridge, being in the region of the maximum discharge and lying at 

no great distance above the river, suffered a heavy loss. The local newspaper described the flood as follows:

The Republican rose so fast between 6 and 8 p.m. (May 51) that it was 

impossible for many to get away from their homes. It was about 2 o'clock 

in the afternoon that Medicine Creek was nearing its highest point, and 

people who have lived there since the 70's claim it was a record height.

In the morning we had watched a flood sweep down Medicine Creek and 

then through our park. Then while we were watching this, the Republican 

on the south went to a record height. All afternoon the flood gradually 

subsided. Suddenly an awfully black cloud came up in the south and swept 

around to the west. At supper time the river rose to a record height. It 

rolled in in 15 minutes.

Saturday morning (June 1) at 3 a.m. the creek started to rise and the 

water came up higher than during the day. It did not remain up long and 

subsided. Also, the river started to lower.

Three-fourths of the homes in Cambridge were affected by the Medicine 

Creek and Republican River floods. Between the railroad track and the 

river 70 homes were seriously damaged, and 76 people were rescued from the 

submerged houses by means of boats. Only 20 houses remained on their foundations.
42 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937 

In the Oxford section the local newspaper had the following account:

Dwellers on the lowlands were warned of their danger, and in some 

cases trucks were waiting to take them to higher ground, but they had lived 

there so long and seen so-called high water so many times without trouble 

that all warnings and proffered help were rejected, with perilous results.

When the houses began to fill up and were finally toppled over by the 

force of the swift current, shrieks for help could be heard, but shrouded 

by darkness, nothing could be seen. As daylight broke, those on shore had 

been pushed back by the ever-rising waters until the scene of the disaster 

was invisible except by the aid of field glasses, and all sounds were 

hushed by the roar of the raging river.

Taking in the 5-mile stretch west of Oxford, two families suffered the 

heaviest fatalities. According to the survivors, as the water rose in the 

houses, the inmates "dumb up into the attic, kicked a hole in the roof, 

and climbed outside." Presently the houses began to float but only went a 

short distance before the bottoms struck trees or other objects and began 

to roll. Their human loads were thus dumped off into the swirling waters. 

Sometimes they would be successful in grabbing some objects, only to be 

brushed off like flies by floating debris. Thus it was a continuous fight 

until overcome by sheer exhaustion, rendering them an easy prey for the 

angry water.

The foregoing are only a few of the many incidents related by the local papers but are sufficient to give a picture of human conditions in the 

flood area. The refusal of many farmers to heed the warnings and the sudden rise when the flood finally appeared caused a large loss of livestock, 

and after the flood the stranded carcasses presented a serious health problem. This was especially acute in the vicinity of Hartley, Nebr., where 

a bend of the river lined with large trees caught many animals. In addition, the great amount of debris lodged at that point contained many live 

rattlesnakes, presumably brought down from the headwaters. The local newspaper reported that on the day after the flood 40 rattlesnakes were killed 

in the vicinity.

The main line of the Burlington Route to Denver from Chicago and St. 

Louis traverses the Republican River Valley from Superior, near the Kansas 

line, to Haigler, near the Colorado line. The track, which was laid in 

1880, is in the valley only a few feet above the river. The flood washed 

out 41.5 miles of roadbed and made many more miles impassable because ballast and fills were washed away. Ten permanent bridges were either destroyed or damaged. So great was the force of the current that in many 

places the track was twisted like wire, and long sections of rails with 

ties attached were turned up until they rested on the ends of the ties, 

presenting the appearance of a picket fence. The line was out of commission from May 31 to June 23, when service was resumed by means of temporary tracks in the areas where the damage was the greatest. The loss to 

the railroad company chargeable directly to the flood in the Republican 

River Valley was estimated at $1,500,000.
FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 43

The following tables showing losses are based on Investigations made 

by the Missouri River division of the Corps of Engineers, United States 

Army, the State engineer of Nebraska, the division of water resources of 

the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, and Colorado State and county officials:

Summary of losses in Colorado and Nebraska

Highways damaged. ............ .miles . .

Crops damaged. ............... .acres. .

Colorado

6

300

*

I5

#*

15,000

tt$790,000

Nebraska

94

8,100

46,500

341 

307

42,000 

57,000

$$$7,532,000

* No record, 

t Estimated. 

$ Does not include county bridges.

** Area damaged in Colorado was chiefly hay land and is included under farm land damaged.

tt Includes damage to county bridges and roads.

Includes $1,500,000 loss of Burlington Railroad directly chargeable to the flood, a small part of which occurred in Colorado.

Summary of losses in Kansas

Lives lost.................................................... 10

Livestock lost................................................ 12,193

Homes flooded................................................. .1,485

Buildings flooded, other than homes........................... 1,552

Fence washed out...................................... .miles.. 1,549

Crops damaged or destroyed.............................acres.. 221,507

Farm land damaged.......................................do.... 202,615

Highway damaged........................................miles.. 484

Highway bridges damaged or destroyed.......................... 202

Railroads damaged......................................miles.. 171

Railroad bridges damaged or destroyed......................... 83

Levees and flood protection works damaged or destroyed........ 42

The summary for Kansas shows totals as compiled from individual reports for the following counties: Geary, Clay, Washington, Cloud, Republic, 

Jewell, Cheyenne, Wyandotte, Johnson, Leavenworth, Douglas, Jefferson, Shawnee, Pottawatomie, Wabaunsee, Riley, Diokinson, Saline, Ellsworth, Ottawa, 

Lincoln, Russell; also miscellaneous items from Brown, Newark, Marshall, 

Atchison, Thayer, Gage, Graham, Osborne, Rooks, and Mitchell Counties.

As a result of the great loss of livestock the carcasses of horses, 

cattle, and hogs were packed in the driftwood, laying on sand bars, and 

drifted in the current of the river. This menace to health required immediate attention, and to augment the efforts of the local citizens in destroying the dead animals, the Federal Government established C.C.C. camps containing 1,000 men and F.E.R.A. camps containing 600 men. When this work 

was completed, attention for several weeks was given to clearing the land 

of wrecked buildings, driftwood, and other debris and making emergency
44 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937

repairs to public works. For this work Federal funds amounting to $434,000 

were made available in Nebraska, and $3,922 in Cheyenne County, Kans.

DAILY DISCHARGE AT GAGING STATIONS

The Geological Survey, in cooperation with the State Engineer of Nebraska and the State Board of Agriculture of Kansas, maintains gaging stations on the Republican and Kansas Rivers and tributaries in the two States. 

(See pi. 15.) The stations on the Arikaree River at Haigler, Nebr., and on 

the Republican River at Max and at Culbertson, Nebr., were destroyed by the 

flood, but from available information, including crest discharge as determined from slope measurements and estimates based on data obtained after 

the flood, the hydrographs for Culbertson, Max, and Haigler were computed 

and used in determining the mean daily discharges. At the other stations 

records of gage heights during the flood period were obtained; the observer 

at the Bloomington station was unable to read the gage during the highest 

stages, but these were determined later from high-water marks and the time 

from the observer's notes. The station at Hardy Is equipped with a waterstage recorder, from which a continuous gage-height record was obtained. 

The gage at Scandia, Kans., waa attached to the bridge over the Republican 

River; this bridge was destroyed by the flood at about 5:30 a.m. June 2, 

but from information furnished by local residents it was possible to construct a fairly accurate hydrograph for the flood period (see pi. 13), 

and to estimate the discharge until a temporary gage was Installed on June 

11. Good records were obtained at gaging stations on the Kansas River and 

tributaries.

The mean daily discharge for the months of May and June for 32 stations In the Republican-Kansas River Basin is given in the following tables. 

Descriptions of these stations may be found in Water-Supply Papers 761 and 

786 and other water-supply papers of the Geological Survey containing streamflow records for the Missouri River Basin. Information regarding maximum 

discharges at stations on the Republican River and Kansas River during the 

flood of May and June 1935 Is given elsewhere in this report.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

37°l

WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 796 PLATE 15

39'

104

 Gaging stations at the time of the 1935 flood

Arikaree River at Haigler, Nebr.

Republican River at Max, Nebr.

Republican River at Culbertson, Nebr.

Republican River near Bloomington, Nebr*

Republican River near Hardy, Nebr.

Republican River at Scandia, Kans.

Republican River at Clay Center, Kans.

Kansas River at Ogden, Kans.

Kansas River at Wamego, Kans.

Kansas River at Topeka, Kans.

Kansas River at Bonner Springs, Kans.

North Pork of Republican River at Colorado-Nebraska State line.

Frenchman Creek near Champion, Nebr.

Frenchman Creek below Champion, Nebr.

Frenchman Creek near Hamlet, Nebr.

Frenchman Creek at Culbertson, Nebr.

West Buffalo Creek near Jewell, Kans,

West Buffalo Creek at Jewell, Kans.

Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, Kans.

Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg, Kans.

Smoky Hill River at Enterprise, Kans.

Scott County State Lake near Scott City, Kans.

Saline River near Wilson, Kans.

Saline River at Tescott, Kans.

Solomon River at Beloit, Kans.

Solomon River at Niles, Kans.

East Limestone Creek near Ionia, Kans.

East Limestone Creek at Ionia, Kans.

Elm Creek near Ionia, Kans.

Ottawa County State Lake near Bennington, Kans.

Big Blue River at Barnston, Nebr.

Big Blue River at Hull, Kans.

Big Blue River at Randolph, Kans.

Little Blue River near Endicott, Nebr.

Little Blue River at Waterville, Kans.

Soldier Creek at Topeka, Kans.

Delaware River at Valley Falls, Kans.

Wakarusa River near Lawrence, Kans.

Stranger Creek near Tonganoxie, Kans.

Leavenworth County State Lake near Tonganoxie, Kans.

o Gaging stations at the time of the 1903 flood

Republican River at Benkelman, Nebr.

Republican River near Superior, Nebr.

Republican River at Junction City, Kans.

Kansas River at Lecompton, Kans.

South Fork of Republican River at Benkelman, Nebr.

Smoky Hill River at Ellsworth, Kans.

Saline River near Salina, Kans.

Solomon River at Niles, Kans.

Big Blue River near Manhattan, Kans.

* Records at stations 19 and 26 obtained in floods of 1903 and 1935.

102

100 98°

126843 37 (Face p. 44) LOCATION OF'GAGINGISTATIONS IN DRAINAGE BASIN OF REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS.

FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, HAY AND JUNE 1935 48

Discharge, in second-feet, at stations in Republican-Kansas River Basin, 

Hay and June 1955

Arikaree River 

at

Day

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

81

Haigler,

May

29

28

26

32

30

26

21

22

23

18

19

23

17

17

24

28

33

44

70

63

40

40

33

40

150

36

35

485

37

3,500

17,000

, Nebr.

June

5,000

4,000

2,000

800

400

289

275

266

232

228

224

911

470

322

192

188

383

208

115

112

118

78

73

73

60

357

112

173

80

232

Republican River 

at

Max, Nebr.

May

137

142

118

100

95

87

78

87

95

87

74

78

70

82

100

104

109

137

244

327

318

291

238

190

180

250

300

8,740

8,500

11,000

85,000

June

22,000

8,000

3,800

2,500

2,100

1,600

1,200

1,000

860

790

700

800

650

640

700

5,000

12,000

3,200

1,500

1,800

1,550

1,300

1,050

910

820

774

417

1,110

530

976

Republican River 

at

Culbertson, Nebr.

May

171

165

150

134

130

138

134

160

126

114

114

114

100

90

126

138

146

171

285

409

409

548

505

345

305

315

225

8,000

7,800

11,000

90,000

June

25,000

11,000

5,500

3,800

2,600

2,700

2,000

1,600

1,400

1,200

850

1,100

1,000

980

900

7,000

13,000

4,000

2,000

2,500

1,950

1,700

1,400

1,100

880

760

565

2,550

1,540

2,910

Republican River 

at

Bloomington, Nebr.

May

450

466

564

505

310

286

286

272

275

242

266

2,950

1,480

772

418

369

472

654

1,170

2,150

2,970

1,660

1,550

1,170

1,040

911

1,020

2,550

10,400

8,250

15,900

June

116,000

47,000

17,700

9,500

3,420

2,610

2,750

2,580

1,660

1,840

1,910

1,660

1,720

1,540

5,500

2,200

4,380

14,000

8,500

5,010

4,060

5,410

4,090

2,740

2,820

1,930

1,680

5,210

2,750

2,530

Mean 709 599 3,786 2,676 3,954 3,503 1,972 9,345

Republican

near

River

Hardy, Nebr.

Day

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

May

598

490 1

456

456

425

420

410

385

360

345

350

302

728

2,180

1,240

744

562

562

1,000

3,540

2,180

3,910

2,450

1,870

1,450

1,270

1,320

4,260

3,200

8,790

9,780

June

12,000

117,000

45,100

12,600

7,980

6,170

5,000

4,050

3,390

2,850

2,550

1,950

1,870

1,780

1,660

3,260

3,990

5,100

13,200

11,000

7,820

5,350

6,540

5,310

5,620

5,050

3,590

5,270

5,030

5,980

Republican River

at

Scandia,

May

642

580

490

520

435

435

455

409

355

585

559

383

409

1,980

1,S40

875

700

632

875

4,750

2,770

4,040

2,360

1,640

1,360

1,100

1,360

11,100

7,750

10,700

12,700

Bans.

June

15,500

115,000

56,200

20,000

9,000

6,000

5,500

2,500

2,300

2,250

2,840

1,880

2,120

1,770

1,880

2,760

4,270

5,150

15,000

15,000

7,050

6,590

5,320

4,950

3,490

2,900

3,040

7,050

7,050

4,270

Republican

at

Clay Center,

May

466

652

River

Kans.

June

15,500

20.600

610 105^000

550

490

486

458

434

414

402

390

398

650

550

470

1,580

1,130

780

835

2,560

7,750

4,520

5,120

3,350

2,020

1,620

1,350

2,180

6,250

10,450

10,810

37,500

22,000

16,000

9,880

4,560

2,400

2,500

2,250

2,200

2,150

2,100

2,100

2,200

2,290

5,810

5,810

7,550

18,300

11,500

7,120

5,580

4,960

3,990

2,770

6,020

8,960

8,270

Kansas

at

Ogden,

May

852

755

900

955

852

800

702

702

640

555

610

582

582

800

1,080

852

1,240

1,840

2,600

4,520

7,750

11,400

10,400

10,400

11,700

11,200

10,900

26,700

16,800

17,800

19,600

River

Eans.

June

21,900

50,600

64,300

96,200

56,700

44,000

52,900

25,900

21,500

21,100

21,900

21,900

16,100

8,400

6,790

6,250

6,070

10,200

11,200

11,700

16,400

24,700

17,800

16,400

16,400

17,100

16,400

18,100

20,800

22,300

Mean 1,807 10,590 2,588 11,200 2,169 11,520 5,709 25,670
CONTRIBUTIONS TO HXDROLOGY, 1937

Discharge, in seccnd-feet, at stations in Republican-Kansas River Basin, 

May and June 1935 - Continued

Day

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

IS

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

S4

25

26

27

S8

S9

30

31

Mean

Kansas

at

Same go,

May

4,370

3,890

3,060

2,490

2,S10

1,930

1,670

1,350

1,240

1,070

1,150

1,030

1,860

6,030

4,180

2,880

S,490

S,800

3,4SO

5,070

16,SOO

S6,100

S7,900

18,400

16,SOO

15,600

15,600

27,000

30,300

25,SOO

33,400

9,874

Frenchman

River

Kans.

June

33,900

44,700

60,400

140,000

189,000

8S,800

51,900

35,SOO

S7,200

24,600

24,200

26,800

25,500

14,700

11,400

9,470

8,930

12,300

17,100

19,400

19,100

30,800

25,500

SO, 900

19,400

SO, 500

19,800

SO, 500

S8,500

29,000

34,450

Creek

near

Day

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

IS

13

14

IS

16

17

18

19

SO

SI

SS

23

24

SS

S6

S7

S8

S9

30

31

Champion,

May

16

17

17

18

18

SO

SO

18

20

SO

18

18

SI

24

26

34

26

32

4S

4S

57

60

56

5S

51

4S

S6

S3S

112

46

121

Nebr.

June

1S3

71

5S

50

40

9

16

31

18

18

18

S8

50

38

3S

3S

57

5S

39

45

44

44

44

44

44

44

3S

S7

3S

33

Kansas River

at

Topeka,

May

3,530

4,090

3,690

S,910

S,400

S,SOO

1,880

1,760

1,540

1,390

1,340

1,390

1,300

S,470

6,480

4,5SO

3,S10

3,060

4,340

7,500

10,SOO

SI, 900

S7,000

S3,SOO

16,SOO

16,SOO

17,100

51,600

40,100

S4,800

30,900

10,970

Kans.

June

50,900

4S,900

50,800

66,800

141,000

115,000

61,100

41,000

31,800

87,000

85,400

86,000

87,700

81,600

14,100

11,600

10,800

10,400

15,400

19,800

19,500

84,100

89,400

81,900

80,400

80,700

80,700

81,300

85,100

87,700

34,670

Frenchman Creek

below

Champion

May

4S

S9

37

31

S7

31

37

SS

30

24

S4

24

3S

3S

33

37

31

50

57

56

55

54

6S

61

48

45

70

371

81

68

SSO

, Nebr.

June

189

81

56

58

56

36

35

35

27

44

38

50

61

53

49

48

68

75

46

61

49

45

49

56

54

47

48

36

35

34

Kansas

at

River

Bonner Springs, Kans.

May

1,150

8,080

5,830

4,660

3,700

3,080

8,750

8,410

8,660

3,400

3,180

8,660

5,830

5,810

7,980

9,080

8,850

8,580

84,000

88,400

84,500

83,100

35,800

30,900

84,000

17,900

18,700

67,500

95,500

71,600

41,600

18,860

June

63,600

77,700

77,700

77,700

76,800

117,000

101,000

60,600

48,800

33,000

47,800

44,000

36,400

33,000

80,900

15,400

18,800

11,500

15,800

88,800

81,800

81,300

87,800

87,800

81,800

19,100

80,900

28,800

84,000

87,800

40,700

Frenchman Creek

near

Hamlet,

May

97

98

101

104

96

94

99

88

94

95

98

90

90

96

93

99

99

110

119

186

138

146

134

136

138

131

178

1,180

310

354

987

Nebr.

June

1,080

448

856

803

179

164

144

144

140

135

186

184

187

135

185

153

138

185

182

188

181

118

ISO

117

116

116

118

118

118

104

North Fork of Republican River a

Nebr. State

May

46

19

14

81

48

40

36

14

14

14

14

14

15

18

47

85

30

40

65

110

108

84

88

74

78

68

58

108

90

86

866

55.7

Frenchman

at

Culbertson,

May

98

93

89

84

74

76

64

57

53

44

42

44

48

53

68

79

94

106

168

170

188

196

198

194

188

177

183

4,980

8,080

780

5,500

t Colo.-

line

June

875

168

149

119

110

98

98

90

88

76

78

168

135

86

59

63

86

67

56

58

61

47

58

42

25

42

88

47

46

32

86.8

Creek

, Nebr.

June

2,080

1,160

630

453

410

356

338

314

298

284

266

253

254

254

253

436

380

358

282

258

260

235

224

220

221

210

210

207

210

211

Mean 42.3 58.7 51.8 522
FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935

Discharge, In second-feet, at stations in Republican-Kansas River Basin, 

May and June 1955 - Continued

Day

1

2

5

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 .

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

Smoky Hill

at

Ellsworth,

May

32

27

24

23

21

18

19

19

16

 16

453

163

393

1,560

1,430

2,130

1,440

1,930

4,000

4,980

8,350

4,980

2,560

1,260

908

683

757

2,720

1,840

3,200

1,880

River

Kans.

June

1,700

2,340

7,070

3,260

1,610

1,100

1,300

794

547

453

393

339

365

7,990

4,000

1,700

1,840

6,960

10,500

4,980

3,140

2,610

1,480

1,100

908

3,080

4,480

10,400

4,720

5,520

Smoky Hill

at

Lindsborg,

May

34

49

30

60

19

46

8

30

10

44

26

26

254

166

1,080

957

1,610

1,380

2,650

4,070

3,900

4,700

6,220

2,840

1,230

886

725

3,210

5,220

2,330

3,740

River

Kans.

June

2,080

2,120

3,030

4,070

5,270

2,260

1,230

1,000

933

707

654

637

588

588

3,580

5,180

2,420

1,860

4,400

5,720

6,810

5,140

2,650

1,740

933

1,610

3,580

3,030

5,450

7,000

Smoky Hill

at

Enterprise,

May

252

194

190

204

166

163

166

124

122

122

122

122

412

293

250

350

570

1,890

3,090

3,840

4,710

6,850

8,650

9,400

10,000

9,550

6,430

10,100

9,550

9,700

9,850

River

Kans.

June

11,100

12,800

13,300

12,800

12,900

13,600

14,300

16,900

19,900

18,600

11,900

5,800

3,780

3,310

3,090

3,660

5,730

7,000

7,000

6,290

7,750

9,250

9,920

11,500

12,90O

14,200

12,200

11,600

11,800

10,900

Saline River

nea:

Wilson,

May

19

18

15

14

14

14

12

12

12

10

23

53

295

1,660

630

675

470

691

2,900

2,840

2,640

1,000

615

470

375

268 

2,200

3,060

3,340

1,030

939

p

Kans.

June

3,880

8,460

3,000

1,380

784

1,250

55.6

388

325

302

292

298

585

375

241

204

268

1,900

3,830

1,380

615

401

310

251

840

7,860

3,830

2,950

5,630

3,500

1,543 3,223 1,533 2,876 10,530 1,863

Day

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

Saline

a

Tescott

May

44

36

30

24

20

9

22

18

19

19

5

158

59

79

425

1,180

597

311

1,380

2,440

2,850

3,570

3,750

1,930

205

28

2,220

3,570

3,570

3,840

4,160

River

t

, KanSo

June

4,020

2,550

5,580

6,630

6,410

5,830

1,960

990

626

324

270

229

213

229

333

297

253

601

903

1,430

2,680

3,400

1,100

333

353

972

2,160

3,610

6,220

6,520

Solomon

at

Beloit,

May

33

3

10

28

3

18

4

5

25

2

2

7

18

63

394

237

67

273

1,140

5,050

6,380

3,980

1,440

805

552

439

1,080

3,790

7,990

9,000

4,110

River

Kans.

June

10,800

25,200

29,400

14,200

3,260

1,280

852

788

573

429

555

1,330

1,600

1,660

874

519

1,310

4,480

12,300

11,400

3,190

1,880

1,580

984

962

2,140

3,520

4,150

4,570

3,480

Solomon

at

Niles,

May

59

77

85

81

94

59

53

50

45

41

56

355

104

75

61

56

55

277

622

468

2,180

4,670

5,010

5,310

3,090

929

1,160

1,820

1,920

3,440

4,860

River

Kans.

June

5,720

6,840

8,120

9,300

14,300

24,200

28,900

23,200

8,050

2,290

1,920

1,780

1,880

1,740

2,330

2,840

2,520

2,520

3,520

4,200

5,210

6,410

8,010

9,300

8,580

6,630

4,430

4,240

5,570

6,680

Big Blue

at

Barnston,

May

1,800

1,140

869

702

508

334

224

182

165

119

151

440

720

836

706

917

800

663

751

5,320

4,850

3,360

2,420

2,710

2,450

1,900

2,270

4,790

5,710

5,620

4,100

River

Nebr.

 Tune

8,630

9,630

9,080

7,350

4,710

5,320

4,870

3,300

2,190

2,000

4,180

2,370

1,310

919

625

516

658

2,990

2,420

2,420

3,870

3,000

3,660

' 3,400

2,160

1,770

1,720

1,800

1,800

2,180

1,180 2,234 1,514 4,976 1,199 7,374 1,856 3,362
CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY, 1937

Discharge, in second-feet, at stations in Republican-Kansas River Baain, 

May and June 1935 - Continued

Big Blue River

Day

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

I

Hull,

May

2,060

1,280

900

650

440

310

280

246

208

252

222

1,680

732

966

822

966

966

858

1,340

6,740

5,57C

3,850

2,460

2,700

2,580

1,840

4,200

6,200

6,560

7,900

5,400

it

Kana.

June

12,300

14,800

13,200

10,800

5,480

6,110

5,480

3,640

2,280

1,940

4,280

2,640

1,610

1,400

1,260

1,170

1,110

2,700

2,760

2,400

4,130

3,180

2,460

2,280

2,160

1,840

1,730

1,840

1,940

2,000

Big Blue River

at

Randolph,

May

3,800

2,660

1,790

1,400

1,110

958

740

605

551

495

467

965

7,060

4,220

2,200

1,940

1,620

1,620

1,950

8,470

15,700

19,400

11,900

5,270

4,640

3,900

3,060

7,280

7,850

11,800

13,600

Kana.

June

16,800

27,500

34,100

32,500

22,500

11,700

11,300

8,970

6,320

4,740

4,320

7,390

5,060

3,480

2,760

2,120

1,740

5,160

9,340

7,060

8,100

7,730

5,480

4,320

4,120

4,120

3,280

7,060

8,100

8,720

Little Blue River

near

Kndicott,

May

288

250

228

214

204

192

185

176

168

176

1,160

1,780

770

483

426

373

314

426

1,010

5,940

5,000

2,210

1,270

808

660

499

696

595

4,920

3,960

3,380

Hebr.

June

6,760

7,060

3,920

3,320

2,650

2,510

1,970

984

770

638

588

884

467

366

377

328

1,210

2,630

2,240

1,640

936

513

391

342

314

286

280

1,550

4,050

 2,840

Little Blue River

at

Waterville

May

461

365

320

278

252

240

240

228

217

206 .

196

2,420

3,940

1,440

1,180

649

461

461

1,840

7,020

10,800

11,100

3,520

2,060

1,490

1,220

1,130

1,260

3,450

8,690

7,790

, Kans.

June

9,320

21,400

20,000

10,200

7jl°°

5,360

3,940

2,420

1,640

1,360

2,000

1,890

1,490

1,130

925

805

2,180

2,980

4,010

2,420

2,920

?,440

965

845

765

687

611

4,220

4,980

7,360

Mean 2,296 4,031 4,807 9,503 1,250 1,760 2,417 4,245

Day

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

Soldier

at

Topeka,

May

2

940

10

2

2

2

2

2

2

35

37

65

94

70

40

30

25

20

800

3,220

800

300

100

75

50

25

15

8,990

3,550

1,850

150

Creek

Kans.

June

3,360

2,100

800

480

350

280

220

190

160

130

110

93

80

69

61

52

43

53

94

84

72

64

58

50

44

39

64

99

75

50

Delaware

at

River

Valley Palls, Kans..

May

34

155

51

32

24

22

20

366

467

133

200

114

193

218

164

277

147

237

7,630

9,700

15,400

3,110

608

415

298

257

1,930

14,700

2,930

1,250

1,380

June

8,930

10,600

8,690

758

608

1,440

415

298

608

25V

9,170

1,310

257

200

187

200

187

5,470

3,300

1,380

1,310

320

218

155

136

277

467

819

366

2,000

ffakarusa

nea:

Lawrence

May

4

7

8

9

6

8

11

9

223

334

123

118

108

1,650

1,680

1,380

526

951

7,850

3,150

951

427

305

223

186

162

9,590

11-, 400

11,200

3,070

681

Kiver

r

, Kans.

June

7,720

9,450

7,220

1,440

702

744

459

305

249

223

3,000

681

364

249

186

198

162

139

123

103

84

84

84

76

71

84

134

491

620

162

Stranger

near

Creek

Tonganoxle, Kans,

May

12

194

286

43

24

32

26

20

463

344

92

210

72

1,370

657

631

367

915

3,690

3,540

2,190

439

367

194

145

151

290

5,300

7,050

5,770

1,530

June

2,340

3,120

4,000

3,250

514

311

243

178

186

1S1

3,160

4,430

4,000

730

199

169

215

248

199

231

284

110

79

53

69

141

69

275

79

53

Mean 687 2,015 1,811 1,818 1,187 1,173
FLOOD OH REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 49 

PREVIOUS FLOODS

Although the flood of May and June 1935 was the greatest flood that 

had occurred In the upper part of the Republican-Kansas River Basin during 

the period of historical record, it appears that other floods, especially 

that of May and June 1903, have been greater than that of 1935 for the Kansas River, below Junction City. The magnitudes of most of the floods prior

to that of 1903 are largely a matter of conjecture, there being few records

2 

upon which to base estimates of discharge. In a report on the Kansas River

by the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, the following information is

3 

given regarding early floods:

One of the early floods in the Kansas Basin apparently occurred in 

1785, a year that was known in Middle Western regions as "the year of big 

waters." # # # The next great flood occurred in 1826. * * * Conditions on 

the Kansas River are not accurately known, although available data indicate 

that a major flood occurred.

The next great flood of record occurred in the spring of 1844. No 

definite high-water marks were obtained of this flood, although sufficient 

information is available to establish it as the maximum flood of record in 

the Kansas Basin. # # # A very careful study of available information at 

Topeka, Kans., indicates that the 1844 flood was approximately 2 feet higher than that of 1903. * * #

Other general floods covering a large part of the Kansas Basin occurred 

in 1845, 1851, 1858, 1870, 1881, and 1886. Little is known of these floods. 

A flood on Chapman Creek, a small tributary of the Smoky Hill River, occurred on June 26, 1869, and resulted in the loss of 15 lives.

The most important flood of accurate record occurred during the latter 

part of May and the first part of June of 1903, and resulted in very high 

stages throughout the central and eastern part of the basin. It was exceeded only toy the flood of 1844.

Floods on the Kansas River subsequent to that of 1903 occurred in 1904, 

1908, 1915, 1923, and 1935, tout none of them equaled the flood of 1903 in 

eastern Kansas, although in the upper Kansas River the flood of 1935 approached it closely.

Severe floods have occurred less frequently on the Republican River 

than on the Kansas River during the past century. Of the known floods on 

the Republican River that of 1915 is generally considered the greatest 

prior to that of 1935. The longest stream-gaging record on the Republican 

River is that at Superior and Bostwick, Nebr., from 1896 to 1915. During 

that period the maximum observed stage was a gage height of 12.5 feet at 

Bostwick on June 19, 1915. The second highest observed stage at Bostwick 

was a gage height of 10.4 feet on July 4, 1905, for which the estimated 

discharge was 24,500 second-feet. Records obtained near Superior during 

1903 indicate that the flood of that year was of lesser magnitude on the

2 See report of the Flood Control and Water Conservation Committee 

to the Governor of the State of Kansas, December 27, 1928, p. 5, for a list 

or years in which Kansas floods are known to have occurred.

3 73d Gong., 2d session, H. Doc. 195, pp. 38-39, 1934.
50 CONTRIBUTIONS TO BTHDROLOGY, 1937

Republican River than those of 1905 and 1915, the estimated discharge at 

Superior toeing 14,100 second-feet on May 29, 1903.

A comparison of the flood of 1935 with other floods that had occurred 

during the preceding 70 years was obtained near Oxford, Nebr., at a house 

occupied by the Clarine family. This house was on the same site as one 

built in 1865, and prior to 1935 flood waters had never approached the 

house. Attached to the house is a lean-to more than 10 feet high, which 

was completely submerged by the crest of the flood of 1935. Prom this fact 

it is clearly indicated that the flood of 1935 was at least 12 feet higher 

than any flood during the preceding 70 years. As this additional 12 feet 

in height corresponds to a greatly increased width of overflowed area, it 

is evident that previous floods at this locality were so much smaller that 

they were comparable with the floods of 1905 and 1915 referred to above.

For the Republican River, as for many other western streams, there i? 

the usual Indian tradition of a higher flood before the days of the white 

man. Engineers, in the course of their investigations of the flood of May 

and June 1935, found three separate references to such flood. An old Indian 

in the vicinity of Benkelman made the statement that 40 years before he was 

born there was a great flood 2 feet higher than that of 1935. As he was 

about 70 years old, this would date the legendary flood as approximately

1825. A resident near Cambridge stated that when his father settled there, 

about 1870, an old Indian told him that all people who settled the Republican River bottoms would be flooded out, as he had seen, while a boy, the 

waters "extending from bluff to bluff." At Red Cloud several residents 

stated that one of Chief Red Cloud's relatives who lived nearby was authority for the statement that more than 100 years ago a flood covering the 

bottoms "from bluff to bluff had occurred. These statements are consistent 

and apparently had partial historic confirmation. At the time of this earlier flood there were no white settlers in the Republican River Basin, and 

the only white travelers were fur traders on the way from St. Louis to the 

Rocky Mountains and points beyond. Search through the available writings 

of these travelers fails to reveal any reference to such a flood. It is

therefore necessary to rely on inferential evidence from localities where

4 

whites had settled. According to a published statement, in the spring of

1826. during the June high water, which was much greater than usual, a tremendous rise, like a wall of water, came down from the Kansas River. No 

other reference to that flood is given, but the same volume contains a

4 Kansas State Hist. Soc. Trans., vol. 8, p. 479, Topeka, 1904.
FLOOD ON REPUBLICAN AND KANSAS RIVERS, MAY AND JUNE 1935 51

letter from the superintendent of missions among the Osage Indians, from, 

which the following is quoted:

The whole sunmer (1826) might be called a rainy season. The season 

before (1825) was remarkably dry. * * * About the 1st of March our river 

(Neosho) rose and overflowed its banks beyond anything seen before. * * * 

Through the summer the rains continued; the ground was wet and the air 

chilly. * * * The most appalling scene was reserved for the month of 

September. It was in this month, about the middle, that the earth, already overflowing, could no longer drink in the rain that came upon it. 

Fresh torrents from the clouds descended; the Neosho commenced its second 

great rise, and it was great indeed. (A footnote states that this rise was 

10 feet higher than that in the spring.)

The chief value of this evidence for the Republican River flood lies 

in the statement that 1825 was a dry year and 1826 an exceedingly wet one. 

If the rainfall was sufficiently heavy to cause a great flood on the Neosho 

River, it probably must have been general, extending also over the basin of 

the Republican River.

Of the two published statements cited, perhaps the first, mentioning 

the "tremendous wall n of water on the Kansas River in June 1826, is more 

pertinent to the Republican River flood. The second statement, mentioning 

1825 as a "remarkably dry" year, indicates that the flood of Indian tradition occurred not in 1825 but in 1826. Although the evidence is not conclusive, it strengthens belief in the flood reported by the Indians. This 

in turn indicates that the flood of 1935 may be classed as one of the 100- 

year type.

REVISION OF RECORDS FOR 1903

As a result of additional high-water measurements and improved ratings 

for several stations on the Kansas River and tributary streams obtained in 

connection with the flood of May and June 1935, revisions have been made of 

the records for May and June 1903 for six gaging stations, and these revised 

records appear in the following table. Descriptions of these stations may 

be found in U. S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 99, pages 208-215, 

224-232.
52 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HXDROLOST, 1957

Discharge, in second-feet, at stations in Kansas River Basin, 

May and June 1905

Day

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

Mean

Republican River

at

Junction City,

May

6,450

5,400

1,780

1,160

945

787

735

735

735

682

1,260

9,820

19,900

28,400

16,000

10,300

7,500

6,500

8,250

4,650

4,300

5,150

11,500

9,000

6,880

12,600

23,500

33,600

69,500

71,000

65,000

Kans.

June

58,000

50,000

38,600

22,300

18,700

13,200

9.160

6,880

5,400

4,520

4,000

3,500

3,020

2,600

2,520

2,290

2,150

1,960

1,840

1,660

1,660

1,540

1,480

1,370

1,480

2,680

3,700

2,600

2,210

2,680

Kansas River

at 

Leeompton, Kans.

14,260 9,120

May

5,000"

5,000

14.000

13,300

12,100

12,100

11,700

11,200

10,300

10,400

11,700

16,500

24,400

32,600

47,800

43,100

29,600

26,400

25,200

27,200

26,200

28,000

46,300

56,800

56,400

41,000

79,600

93,800

131,000

181,000

266,000

45,020

June

239,000

222,000

207,000

191,000

171,000

134,000

107,000

90,200

74,000

65,200

55,000

45,900

38,000

34,000

30,600

28,300

26,100

23,700

22,400

20,800

18,600

17,100

16,000

14,300

15,200

22,400

50,600

30,600

28,300

26,400

68,160

Smoky Hill

at

Ellsworth,

May

823

557

557

510

1,840

2,050

2,830

2,510

2,200

1,840

1,760

1,410

2,200

2,280

1,480

1,140

1,010

883

765

657

557

606

623

657

557

1,480

1,690

12,900

15,700

12,300

6,980

River

Kans.

June

4,080

3,410

2,130

1,690

1,410

1,540

1,080

883

823

765

710

657

657

606

557

510

465

422

381

465

465

381

465

465

422

765

1,080

557

465

342

2,700

Day

1

2

3

4

5

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

1617 '

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

Mean

Saline River

near

Sallna, Kane

May

955

1,710

1,350

1,250

910

1,200

925

1,250

1,690

1,860

1,820

1,620

1,350

1,750

1,960

2,000

2,090

1,950

1,300

1,080

1,250

2,470

3,220

2,490

2,180

6,500

19,800

13,400

24,600

27,000

25,800

June

24,600

19,000

14,000

10,000

8,000

6,200

5,100

4,300

3,940

2,490

1,640

1,560

1,450

1,340

1,270

1,210

1,150

1,090

1.040

1,000

1,080

1,090

1,000

1,020

1,000

955

880

835

880

1,040

Solomon

at

River

Miles, Kans.

May

2,490

2,490

1,640

997

915

635

970

1,050

2,160

3,820

4,670

S,080

5,190

5,610

6,920

11,600

19,700

19,000

7,010

4,150

2,940

4,070

4,300

3,460

5,250

3,820

5,120

4,850

17,300

19,700

21,600

June

28,900

35,200

39,800

59.800

31,800

24,100

13,800

6,820

4,590

3,680

3,320

3,460

3,280

2,810

2,580

2,460

2,340

2,220

2,120

2,060

2,000

1,920

1,820

1,760

1,860

1,940

1,940

2,520

2,490

3,010

Big Blue

at

Manhattan

May

5,860

6,490

4,140

2,060

1,770

1,630

1,630

1,490

1,350

1,220

1,160

2,060

8,820

17,700

16,000

7,430

5,150

4,360

3,630

3,240

7,840

22,900

27,700

27,300

19,600

33,200

46,600

54,600

69,000

86,000

93,800

River

, Sana.

June

87,200

69,000

53,200

41,200

35,000

30,700

21,100

15,000

10,900

8,960

7,700

7,020

6,240

5,500

5,150

4,800

4,470

4,140

3,940

5,980

5,380

4,690

4,140

3,730

3,940

8,260

7,420

4,470

3,940

3,430

5,120 4,010 6,540 9,210 18,890 15,890
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