Floods of April-June 1957 in Texas and Adjacent States By I. D. YOST FLOODS OF 1957 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1652-B Prepared in cooperation with the States of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas, and with other agencies UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1963 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 25, D.C. CONTENTS Page Abstract__ _ _____________________________________________________ Bl Introduction._____________________-___________-___-_-__------_---- 1 Acknowledgments ____________-_-__-____--__------_---__-__-------- 4 Definition of terms and abbreviations_-_____-_-_--___-----_---------- 5 General features of the floods_--__-_-____--._------------__---_------ 5 Precipitation..________________________________________________ 5 Thefloods_-____________________________________ - 10 Flood-control reservoirs-___________---___------_---_----------- 13 Determination of flood discharges____________________-___---___---- 13 Explanation of data___________________--_-________--____-_------- 15 Station data______________________________________________________ 16 Arkansas River basin_______________-____--__---_--_-_--_------ 16 Canadian River near Amarillo, Tex_______________-_-___.---_- 16 Red River basin_____________________-__-_--_---__------------- 18 Salt Fork Red River at Mangum, Okla_--__-_-_-__---_------- 18 North Fork Red River near Headrick, Okla_________________ 19 Cache Creek near Walters, Okla--_----___------------------- 19 Deep Red Run near Randlett, Okla_______________--__-_--- 20 Lake Kemp near Mabelle, Tex___---_------_----_-_--------^ 21 Wichita River at Wichita Falls, Tex__.________________ 22 Beaver Creek near Waurika, Okla--__-----_----_-__---_---_- 24 Lake Kickapoo near Archer City, Tex______________________ 24 Little Wichita River near Henrietta, Tex_____________________ 25 Red River near Terral, Okla______________---_--___--------- 26 Red River near Gainesville, Tex______-___-___---__-__-_-_--_ 29 Washita River near Durwood, Okla_____----__-_--__-_------- 30 Lake Texoma near Denison, Tex_________________-_--_--_--- 32 Red River near Colbert, Okla____-__--_--__----_--_--------- 33 Red River at Arthur City, Tex__________________________ 34 Red River at Index, Ark__ _________________________________ 35 Red River at Fulton, Ark_ _________________________________ 36 Sulphur River near Talco, Tex_______--_-__-----_-_--------- 37 Texarkana Reservoir near Texarkana, Tex____________________ 38 Sulphur River below Texarkana Reservoir near Texarkana, Tex_ 39 Posten Bayou near Wardview, La-_-___-__-___---__--__----- 40 Cypress Creek near Jefferson, Tex___________________-------- 40 Caddo Lake near Mooringsport, La________________-__------- 41 Kelly Bayou near Hosston, La_____-___-___-_---_-_--------_ 41 Black Bayou near Gilliam, La____________________--___---- 43 Twelvemile Bayou near Dixie, La--__---____---_-__--------- 44 Paw Paw Bayou near Greenwood, La-________--_--_---_-___- 46 Red River at Shreveport, La_________--____-_-___----_-_---- 48 Bayou Dorcheat near Minden, La______________--_---__--_-- 48 Bayou Bodcau (head of Red Chute Bayou) near Sarepta, La 50 Hi IV CONTENTS Station data Continued Page Red River basin Continued Bayou Bodcau Reservoir near Shreveport, La_ ________________ B51 Cypress Bayou near Benton, La______-_-____----____________ 52 Red Chute Bayou near Shreveport, La_______________________ 54 Loggy Bayou near Ninock, La_____-_____-__----_____-___-__ 54 Saline Bayou near Clarence, La_ ____________----____--______ 55 Red River at Alexandria, La________-__-____------___-_-___- 56 Sabine River basin_________________-___-______---_--__-_-______ 56 Sabine River near Emory, Tex_______________-______________ 56 Lake Fork Sabine River near Quitman, Tex_________________ 58 Sabine River near Gladewater, Tex__________________________ 60 Sabine River at Logansport, La,--.-------------------------- 61 Sabine River below Toledo Bend near Burkeville, Tex________ 61 Sabine River near Ruliff, Tex________________________-______ 62 Neches River basin_______________________-____-________-______ 63 Neches River near Neches, Tex_ _ ___________________________ 63 Neches River near Rockland, Tex ___________________________ 63 Mud Creek near Jacksonville, Tex___________________________ 64 Angelina River near Lufkin, Tex____________________________ 65 Attoyac Bayou near Chireno, Tex___________________________ 66 Angelina River near Zavalla, Tex_____-_-_____-_-_-__--_-____ 67 Dam B Reservoir at Town Bluff, Tex______________________ 68 Neches River at Evadale, Tex_____________________________ 69 Village Creek near Kountze, Tex_ ___________________________ 70 Trinity River basin.___________________________________________ 70 North Creek near Jacksboro, Tex__________________________ 70 West Fork Trinity River near Jacksboro, Tex_________________ 72 Bridgeport Reservoir above Bridgeport, Tex __________________ 74 Big Sandy Creek near Bridgeport, Tex.______________________ 76 West Fork Trinity River near Boyd, Tex. ____________________ 78 Eagle Mountain Reservoir above Fort Worth, Tex_____----___- 80 Clear Fork Trinity River near Aledo, Tex____________________ 81 Benbrook Reservoir near Benbrook, Tex_-___------__--______ 82 Clear Fork Trinity River near Benbrook, Tex.________________ 83 Clear Fork Trinity River at Fort Worth , Tex_ ________________ 86 West Fork Trinity River at Fort Worth, Tex_________________ 88 West Fork Trinity River at Grand Prairie, Tex_______________ 90 Elm Fork Trinity River near Sanger, Tex____________________ 91 Isle du Bois Creek near Pilot Point, Tex_______-___-----____ 93 Clear Creek near Sanger, Tex_ _______-_____-___-_----__---_- 95 Garza-Little Elm Reservoir near Lewisville, Tex_______________ 98 Elm Fork Trinity River near Lewisville, Tex_________----___ 99 Denton Creek near Justin, Tex______________________________ 100 Grapevine Reservoir near Grapevine, Tex____________________ 102 Denton Creek near Grapevine, Tex_ _____________--___-----__ 103 Elm Fork Trinity River near Carrollton, Tex_________-----___ 105 Trinity River at Dallas, Tex_----_-_-_-------------_------_- 107 Sister Grove Creek near Princeton, Tex________-_-_-_-_--_-__ 109 Lavon Reservoir near Lavon, Tex_________-__----_-_---__-__ 110 East Fork Trinity River near Lavon, Tex____________________ 111 East Fork Trinity River near Crandall, Tex__________________ 112 Trinity River near Rosser, Tex_________________--_-__---___- 114 CONTENTS V Station data Continued Page Trinity River basin Continued Cedar Creek near Mabank, Tex_ ____________________________ B115 Richland Creek near Richland, Tex-_----_------------_-_-_-_- 117 Chambers Creek near Corsicana, Tex________________________ 118 Trinity River near Oakwood, Tex___________________________ 120 Trinity River near Midway, Tex____-.__________---_____-___- 120 Trinity River at Romayor, Tex_____________________________ 121 Trinity River at Liberty, Tex-__----------_------_-------__- 122 San Jacinto River basin________________________________________ 122 East Fork San Jacinto River near Cleveland, Tex_____________ 122 Lake Houston near Sheldon, Tex_ ___________________________ 123 Brazos River basin____________________________________________ 124 Brazos River at Seymour, Tex______________________________ 124 Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir near Nugent, Tex____________ __ 126 Clear Fork Brazos River at Nugent, Tex_______----_____-___- 127 Lake Stamford near Haskell, Tex_________-__----_-__-___-_-_ 129 Clear Fork Brazos River at Fort Griffin, Tex________________ 130 Hubbard Creek near Breckenridge, Tex______________________ 132 Brazos River near South Bend, Tex__________________________ 135 Possum Kingdom Reservoir near Graford, Tex_ _______________ 137 Brazos River near Palo Pinto, Tex___-__-_--_-_-____-_-_-___- 138 Palo Pinto Creek near Santo, Tex___________________________ 140 Rock Creek near Mineral Wells, Tex_________________________ 142 Brazos River near Glen Rose, Tex___________________________ 143 Paluxy Creek at Glen Rose, Tex_____________________________ 145 Nolands River at Blum, Tex_-_---------------_-----_------- 147 Whitney Reservoir near Whitney, Tex_ --_-------_-----_---_- 148 Brazos River near Whitney, Tex____________________________ 149 Aquilla Creek near Aquilla, Tex_____________________________ 151 North Bosque River near Clifton, Tex_______________________ 154 Brazos River at Waco, Tex________-___---___--_-___--_____- 154 Leon River near Hasse, Tex_______-__--_____---_-__-__--_-_ 157 Leon River at Gatesville, Tex_______________________________ 159 Belton Reservoir near Belton, Tex___________________________ 161 Leon River near Belton, Tex_____--__---_--_-__-_-___-_-_-_- 162 Sulphur Creek above Lampasas, Tex_____--_----------------- 162 Burleson Creek near Lampasas, Tex_________________________ 162 Sulphur Creek below Lampasas, Tex_______-__________:______ 163 Lampasas River at Youngsport, Tex_ ____________-____-_--__- 163 North Fork San Gabriel River near Georgetown, Tex__________ 165 South Fork San Gabriel River near Leander, Tex______________ 165 San Gabriel River at Georgetown, Tex___________--_-__--___- 165 Little River at Cameron, Tex_ ______________________________ 167 Brazos River near Bryan, Tex_____---__-----_-----_--------- 169 Yegua Creek near Somerville, Tex___________________________ 171 Navasota River near Bryan, Tex___________________-_--__--- 172 Brazos River