Floods of May 1968 in South Arkansas GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1970-A Prepared in cooperation with the Arkansas State Highway Commission Floods of May 1968 in South Arkansas By R. C. GILSTRAP FLOODS OF 1968 IN THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1970-A Prepared in cooperation with the Arkansas State Highway Commission u. s. s. s. WATER RESOURCES DIVISION ROLL A, MO. RECEIVED APR 101972 AM PM 7|8|9|10|ll|12[li2i3i4i5|6 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1972 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY V. E. McKelvey, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. GS 76-185107 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $1 (paper cover) Stock Number 2401-1214 CONTENTS Page Abstract................................................................................................................................... Al Introduction.................................................................. ....................................................... 1 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................ 3 Definitions of terms and abbreviations...... .......... ........................................................... 3 Precipitation.................. .................................................................................................... 4 Floods............................................................... ................................................................... 4 Arkansas River basin........ .................... ..................................................................... 4 Poteau River..................................................................................................... 4 Petit Jean River............................... ................................................................... 5 Fourche LaFave River........................................................................................ 5 Bayou Meto............................................................................................................. 6 FourcheCreek......................................................................................................... 6 Red River basin.......................................................................................................... 6 Red River............................................................................................................ 6 Little River...... ... .................................................................................................. 7 Ouachita River............... .................................................................................... 7 Caddo River............................................................................................................ 9 Little Missouri River............................................................................................. 10 Saline River...................................................................................................... 11 Bayou Bartholomew... ....................................................................................... 12 Flood damage..................................................................................................................... 12 Magnitude and frequency of floods..... ............................................................................. 18 Rainfall and runoff.............................................................................................................. 20 Flood-crest stages.................................................................................................................... 28 Measurement of flood discharge.......................................................................................... 29 Summary of peak stages and discharges.............................................................................. 33 Station description and discharge tables.......................................................................... 33 Arkansas River basin..................................................................................................... 38 Poteau River at Cauthron.......... ........................ ................................................ 38 James Fork near Midland..................................................................................... 39 James Fork near Hackett....................................................................................... 39 Pack Saddle Creek tributary near Waldron....................................................... 40 Petit Jean River near Booneville......................................................................... 40 Blue Mountain Reservoir near Waveland......................................................... 41 Petit Jean River near Waveland....................................................................... 42 Dutch Creek at Waltreak...................................................................................... 43 Petit Jean River at Danville................................................................................. 44 Jake Creek near Chickalah.................................................................................... 45 Tan-a-hill Creek near Boles.................................................................................. 45 Fourche La Fave River near Gravelly................................................................. 45 Brogan Creek near Rover................ ................................................................... 46 Nimrod Lake near Nimrod................................................................................... 47 Fourche La Fave River near Nimrod.................................................................. 47 South Fourche La Fave River near Hollis.......................................................... 48 Fourche La Fave River tributary near Perryville............................................. 49 III IV CONTENTS Page Station descriptions and discharge table Continued Arkansas River basin. Continued Little Maumelle River at Ferndale..................................................................... A49 Rock Creek at Shackleford Road in Little Rock................................................ 49 Grassy Flat Creek at Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock............................. 50 Coleman Creek at 28th Street in Little Rock..................................................... 50 Mile Branch near Tomberlin............................................................................... 50 Cypress Branch near Jacksonville...................................................................... 50 Bayou Meto near Jacksonville..................................................................................... 50 White Oak Branch near Lonoke.......................... .................................. ......... 51 Red River basin.............................................................................................................. 52 Red River at Index................................................................................................. 52 Twomile Creek near Hatneld. ........... .... ......................... 53 Rolling Fork near DeQueen....................................................................... .......... 53 Pepper Creek near DeQueen................................................................................. 54 Little River near Horatio.-...--....-.....................-...-..--.---..-.....-.--...-.................... 55 West Flat Creek near Foreman............................................................................. 56 Cossatot River near Vandervoort............. ..... ............. ........ .......... 56 Cossatot River near DeQueen.-..............-. ..........-. ........-.-................-.............. 57 Mill Slough tributary near Lockesburg..................................................................... 58 Saline River near Dierks........................................................................................ 58 Rock Creek near Dierks.......................................................................................... 59 Saline River near Lockesburg.............................................................................. 60 Millwood Reservoir near Ashdowii......................... ..... ....~................. 61 Red River at Fulton............................................... ............................................. 61 Caney Creek near Hope.......................................................................................... 62 Lewis Creek tributary near Mena.......... ............................................... .......... 62 Big Fork tributary at Big Fork............................................................................. 62 Ouachita River near Mount Ida............................................................... .......... 63 South Fork Ouachita River at Mount Ida.......................................................... 63 Barnes Branch near Mount Ida............................................................................ 64 Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs......................................................................... 64 Ouachita River at Blakely Mountain Dam near Hot Springs......................... 65 Glazypeau Creek at Mountain Valley................................................................