Floods of April-May 1958 in Louisiana and Adjacent States
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Floods of April-May 1958 in Louisiana and Adjacent States GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1660-A Prepared in cooperation with the States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas, and with agencies of the Federal Government Floods of April-May 1958 in Louisiana and Adjacent States By RUFUS P. SMITH FLOODS OF 1958 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1660-A Prepared in cooperation with the States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas, and with agencies of the Federal Government UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C., 20402 CONTENTS Abstract __ __________-___________________--_____--_______-__----- Al Introduction. _____________________________________________________ 1 Precipitation _ ___________________________________________________ 4 General features of the floods_______________________-___-_-_-__-__-_ 7 Flood damage _ _______-________________________-___-_-_-__-__---- 12 Measurement of flood discharges______---___--------------__-------- 13 Stages and discharges at stream-gaging stations _______________________ 14 Pearl River basin _ ___________________--__--______-_____-_---_ 17 Pearl River at Edinburg, Miss. ___________-_-_-_--_-__-_---- 17 Lobutcha Creek near Carthage, Miss __ _ __________--__-_-___ 17 Tuscolameta Creek at Walnut Grove, Miss ___-_______--__-_-- 18 Yockanookany River near Kosciusko, Miss ___________________ 19 Yockanookany River near Ofahoma, Miss ____________________ 19 Pearl River at Meeks Bridge, near Canton, Miss ______________ 20 Pelahatchie Creek near Fannin, Miss __ _____________________ 21 Pearl River at Jackson, Miss _ _____________________________ 21 Yazoo River basin.- _ __________________________________________ 22 Tallahatchie River near Lambert, Miss ______________________ 22 Tallahatchie River at Swan Lake, Miss _ ____________________ 23 Thompson Creek at McCarley, Miss_-------------_---------- 23 Yazoo River at Greenwood, Miss____-_-_-_-___---_-_-_-__-_- 25 Sunflower River at Sunflower, Miss. _____-__-____________---_ 25 Big Black River basin __ ______________________________________ 26 Big Black River at Pickens, Miss___________-___-___-___--_-_ 26 Big Black River near Bovina, Miss. _________________________ 27 Red River basin _________ _ ________ _ ____________ 29 Red River at Arthur City, Tex _______ ____ _ ___ ______ 29 Kiamichi River near Belzoni, Okla __ _______________________ 30 Red River at Index, Ark_ __________________________________ 30 Little River near Wright City, Okla_. ----------------------- 31 Little River below Lukfata Creek, near Idabel, Okla___----_--- 33 Mountain Fork River near Eagletown, Okla. __-__-__-___-_--_ 35 Rolling Fork near DeQueen, Ark. ___________________________ 37 Little River near Horatio, Ark_--___--____-_-_-____----_--_- 39 Cossatot River near DeQueen, Ark. _____-___-_-_______-__--_ 41 Saline River near Dierks, Ark_______________________________ 43 Red River at Fulton, Ark__________________________________ 44 South Sulphur River near Cooper, Tex____________-_____-_-_- 45 North Sulphur River near Cooper, Tex _ ____________________ 46 Sulphur River near Talco, Tex_ _____________________________ 48 Whiteoak Creek near Talco, Tex_ _________-_-_-_-_-__ _ ____ 49 Texarkana Reservoir near Texarkana, Tex _ _________________ 50 Posten Bayou near Wardview, La__ ________-__-____-_____--- 51 Red River near Hosston, La-----____----_-----_-_-_--_---_- 51 Cypress Creek near Pittsburg, Tex __ _______________________ 52 IV CONTENTS Stages and discharges at stream-gaging stations Continued Red River basin Continued Pase Boggy Creek near Daingerfield, Tex_______--__-----------_-- A53 Lake O' the Pines near Jefferson, Tex-_____--__--_----------- 54 Cypress Creek near Jefferson, Tex_______--_------_---------- 55 Caddo Lake near Mooringsport, La__________________________ 56 Kelly Bayou near Hosston, La__-___---_-------------------- 56 Black Bayou near Gilliam, La_____________________________ 57 Twelvemile Bayou near Dixie, La_-------------------------- 58 Paw Paw Bayou near Greenwood, La__--_---_--------------- 59 Red River at Shreveport, La____-____-__--__-------------- 61 Bayou Dorcheat near Springhill, La_---------_-------------- 61 Flat Lick Bayou near Leton, La_ ____----------------------- 62 Bayou Dorcheat near Minden, La_ __-_--------_------------- 63 Plat River (Shell Bayou) near Shreveport, La_________________ 64 Alligator Bayou near Shreveport, La-_-__-------------------- 65 Bodcau Bayou near Sarepta, La_-___---------_-------------- 65 Bodcau Bayou Reservoir near Shreveport, La________-_---_--_ 67 Cypress Bayou near Benton, La____________________---__-- 68 Red Chute Bayou near Shreveport, La____-_-___-__--_---_--- 68 Loggy Bayou near Ninock, La_--_______-_---__-_---_--_---- 69 Bayou Pierre near Gayle, La________-______-_____-----_-__ 70 Boggy Bayou near Keithville, La_________-_____-___--___-- 70 Wallace Lake near Shreveport, La______-__-______-_--__---_- 71 Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs, Ark_______________--__-_--_ 72 Ouachita River near Malvern, Ark_______________-__--__--- 73 Caddo River near Alpine, Ark______________________-_-_---_- 74 Ouachita River at Arkadelphia, Ark_________________________ 75 Lake Greeson near Murfreesboro, Ark______________________ 77 Muddy Fork Creek near Murfreesboro, Ark________________ 77 Little Missouri River near Murfreesboro, Ark_________________ 79 Antoine River at Antoine, Ark- _____________________________ 80 Little Missouri River near Boughton, Ark____________________ 82 Ouachita River at Camden, Ark__________-_-_____-_---_-_-_- 84 Smackover Creek near Smackover, Ark__________--__-_____- 84 Moro Creek near Fordyce, Ark__________-________---_---_ .__ 86 Saline River at Benton, Ark________________________________ 88 Saline River and Gamble Creek near Sheridan, Ark____________ 90 Hurricane Creek near Sheridan, Ark__ ________-_____---_---__ 92 Saline River near Rye, Ark________________________________ 94 Bayou Bartholomew near Star City, Ark_____________________ 95 Bayou Bartholomew near McGehee, Ark_____________________ 97 Bayou Bartholomew at Wilmot, Ark_________________________ 98 Bayou Bartholomew near Jones, La________________________ 100 Chemin a Haut Bayou near Beekman, La________-__--__-_-_- 100 Bayou Bartholomew near Beekman, La______________________ 101 Bayou de Loutre near Laran, La___________________---_-_-_- 103 Bayou de Loutre near De Loutre, La-_____--_---------_---_- 104 Big Creek near Vienna, La____-__._______-____-_--_-_----- 104 Bayou D'Arbonne near Dubach, La________________________ 104 Cypress Creek near Unionville, La________________---_-_--- 105 Middle Fork Bayou D'Arbonne near Bernice, La_ _____________ 106 Cornie Bayou near Three Creeks, Ark_______.________--_--- 106 CONTENTS Stages and discharges at stream-gaging stations Continued Red River basin Continued Three Creek near Three Creeks, Ark____________________ A107 Corney Bayou near Lillie, La__--_-__-_---_----_-_---------- 109 Little Corney Bayou near Lillie, La____---_-_---_---_-------- 109 Bayou D'Arbonne near Farmerville, La______________________ 110 Bayou Desiard at Monroe, La_____________________________ 110 Ouachita River at Monroe, La___-_____-------------_-_____- 111 Boeuf River near Arkansas-Louisiana State line____--_________ 112 Boeuf River near Oak Grove, La____________________________ 112 Boeuf River near Oak Ridge, La-__-_____-_---_-___-_-_____- 113 Boeuf River near Girard, La-____--__-----_--------_--_-_-_- 113 Big Colewa Bayou near Oak Grove, La___-_--_______-__.____ 115 Big Creek near Holly Ridge, La___-____-_-----_-_-_-_-_-_-_- 116 Bayou LaFourche cutoff near Oak Ridge, La________________ 117 Bayou LaFourche near Irwin Lake, La_______________________ 117 Bayou Galion near Oak Ridge, La______-_-_---___-_-___-___- 118 Bayou LaFourche near Crew Lake, La_______________________ 118 Tensas Bayou near Transylvania, La__ r _____-_______________- 119 Tensas Bayou near Alsatia, La___-__-__-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- 120 Tensas River at Tendal, La_______________________________ 121 Bayou Macon near Kilbourne, La___________________________ 122 Bayou Macon near Oak Grove, La_________________________ 123 Bayou Macon near Delhi, La_______________________________ 124 Sabine River basin___________________________________________ 125 Sabine River near Emory, Tex_ _____________________________ 125 Sabine River near Mineola, Tex________________-___-_-_____- 126 Lake Fork Sabine River near Quitman, Tex_________________ 126 Big Sandy Creek near Big Sandy, Tex__________-_-_-_-___- 127 Sabine River near Gladewater, Tex__________________________ 128 Summary of flood stages and discharges. _____________________________ 129 Flood-crest stages-________________________________________________ 138 Magnitude and frequency of floods_______-_-_______-------_--------- 142 Index-___________________________________________________________ 147 VI CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURES 1. Location of flood-data stations._______________________ A2 2-3. Rainfall maps 2. April 24r-27 __ - _ 5 3. April 24-May 1______________________________ 6 4-5. Accumulated rainfall 4. April 24-May 4 in Arkansas...__________________ 7 5. April 24-May 4 in Texas______________________ 8 6. Accumulated rainfall and runoff, April 24-May 4 in Louisiana__ _ ____________________________________ 9 7. Black Bayou near Oil City, La________________________