If you no longer need this publication write to the Geological Surrey in Washington for an official mailing label to use in returning it UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TEXAS FLOODS OF 1938 AND 1939 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 914 TRANSFER CASE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OP THE INTEBIOE Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. E. Wrather, Director Water-Supply Paper 914 TEXAS FLOODS OF 1938 AND 1939 BY SETH D. BREEDING AND TATE DALRYMPLE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1944 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington^5, D. Cj Price 25, cents CONTENTS Page Abstract ..-_______--__-___-________-------------_-__--_..-___-___ 1 Introduction _______________________-___-__--___-___,.____-_--_.____ 2 Administration and personneI---__-__---------_--------____----_____ 4 Acknowledgments. ________________--___---_---_--____-____-___-___ 5 Determination of flood discharges.__________________________________ 5 Floods of January 1938 in east Texas._______________________________ 6 Precipitation.__ _______________________________________________ 6 Stages, and discharges at river-measurement stations _______________ 6 Sulphur River; near Darden, Tex.___________________________ 1-1 Cypress Creek near Jefferson, Tex___________________________ 12 Sabine River near Gladewater, Tex___________________________ 14 Sabine River at Logansport, La___-______--__--_____________ 16 Flood of June 1938 on Lake Creek, Donley County, Tex_______________ 18 Precipitation._________________________________________________ 19 Discharge records ___________________________________________ 22 Salt Fork of Red River at Mangum, Okla_-___-______________ 22 Floods of July 1938 in Colorado River Basin___________________________ 23s Meteorologic conditions.... _ ___-__-_-__-___-__---____-__________ 23 Precipitation._____________________________________________ 24 ^Colorado River flood_________-_--___-_____---_.______________ 39 Concho River flood_______--___------------_-________________ 39 San Saba River flood_________--__---_--_-----__--______________ 40 Flood at Buchanan Dam.______________________________________ 45 Flood stages and discharges______________________________ _ 46 Crest stages_______________-_-_______-___-_____-___________ 46 Summary of flood stages and discharges._____________________ 49 Stages and discharges at river-measurement stations in Texas.______ 49 Colorado River at Ballinger__.____________________________ 58 Colorado River near San Saba_---_-__---_---__--__________'_ 59 Buchanan Reservoir near Burnet-___________________________ 62 Colorado River at Austin______--__:_-_.__--________________ 65 Colorado River at Smithville ____-------___________________ 67 Colorado River near Eagle Lake__-_--__-----________________ 69 Elm Creek at Ballinger______--_--_-_-__--________,______ 71 South Concho River at Christoval.__________________________ 73 Lake Nasworthy near San Angelo._______________________>____ 74 South Concho River at San AngelO-_________________________ 75 Concho River near San Angelo. _ _________ ________ ^___ _______ 77 Concho River near Paint Rock_______________-___________*.__ 79 Middle Concho River near Tankersly._______________________ 80 Spring Creek near Tankersly-_--__--__------__-_____________ 82 North Concho River near Carlsbad__________________________ 83 Brownwood Reservoir near Brownwood_____^________________ 85 Pecan Bayou at Brownwood._______________________________ 85 San Saba River at Menard_______-_-_-_____________________ 86 San Saba River at San Saba_________________________________ 88 . North Llano River near Junction______________._____________ 90 in IV . CONTENTS Floods of July 1938 in Colorado River Basin Continued. Stages and discharges at river-measurement stations in Texas Con. page Llano River near Junction__________________________________ 91 Llano River near Castell___________________________________ 93 Pedernales River near Spicewood____________________________ 94 Silt_----__-____---_____-.______--___-_______________ 95 Rainfall and runoff__________________________________________ 98 Discussion of results___________--__________-_-___------___. 101 Colorado River Basin__________________________________ 101 Concho River Basin_______________-___________-____--_ 102 San Saba River Basin___________________________.,_____ 103 Llano River Basin_____________________________________ 103 Flood of June 1939 in upper Colorado River Basin___________________ 104 Discharge records____________________________________________ 108 Colorado River at Robert Lee, Tex__________________________ 108 Previous floods_____________________________^______________________ 109 Records of maximum stage and discharge _____________________ . 110 Index.__________________________________________________________ 115 ILLUSTRATIONS Page PLATE 1. A, River-measurement station on Colorado River afc Austin; B, Flood of July 1938 at Roy Inks Dam on Colorado River__ 42 2. Flood of July 1938 on Colorado River at Austin._____________ 42 3. Colorado River flood, July 30, 1938: A, Near Wharton; B, At . Wharton_____________________________,_ 42 4. A, Main street, Menard, flooded by San Saba River, July 22, 1938; B, Courthouse Square, Brady, flooded by Brady Creek, July 23, 1938______________________________ 42 5. San Saba River at San Saba______________________________ 42 6. San Saba River at San Saba: A, Railroad damaged by flood; B, Part of town damaged by flood________________________ 42 7. Buchanan Dam and Reservoir on Colorado River____________ 42 8. Buchanan Dam spillway, July 24, 1938___________j.__________ 43 FIGURE 1. Map of Texas showing areas experiencing floods described in this report-__________________-___________-_,________ 3 2. Map of Sulphur River and Cypress Creek Basins and upper part of Sabine River Basin, showing isohyetal lines of total precipitation. January 19-25, 1938, and places at which discharge records were obtained_________________ 7 3. Hydrographs of discharge of Sulphur River near Darden, Cypress Creek near Jefferson, Sabine River near Glade- water, and Sabine River at Logansport, January 21 to February 13, 1938_________________________ 8 4. Map of Lake Creek Basin and adjacent area, showing isohye­ tal lines of total rainfall June 15, 1938, location of rain gages, and places at which the peak discharge was deter­ mined___________________________________________ 20 5. Accumulated rainfall at stations in the San Saba River Basin, July 18-25, 1938___-_____________r ____ 32 CONTENTS V Page FIGURE 6. Isohyetal map of part of ColOTado River Basin, showing .total rainfall, July 16-19, 1938_._..______...._______ 33 7. Isohyetal map of part of Colorado River Basin, showing total rainfall, July 20-21, 1938_______________ 34 8. Isohyetal map of part of Colorado River Basin, showing total rainfall, July 22-23, 1938..__._._.._..._._.___ 35 9. Isohyetal map of part of Colorado River Basin, showing total rainfall, July 24-25, 1938___......_..__._.________ 36 10. Isohyetal map of part of Colorado River Basin, showing total rainfall, July 16-25, 1938 .__.________ 37 11. Map of part of Colorado River Basin, showing places at i which discharge records were obtained for flood of July 1938 and for previous floods________________________ 38 12. Map of Concho River Basin, showing isohyetals for total rainfall, July 16-25, If38, and places at which discharge records were obtained_<_______________________ 41 13. Map of San Saba River Basin, showing isohyetals for total rainfall, July 16-25, 1938, and places at which discharge records were obtained________________________________ 44 14. Profile of flood-crest stages on the San Saba River and Brady Creek, July 1938__________________________ 47 15. Hydrographs of discharge at river-measurement stations on Colorado River, July 18 to August 8, 1938___,_______ 53 16. Hydrographs of inflow, outflow, and storage at Buchanan Reservoir, on Colorado River, July 21 to August 3, 1938__ 54 17. Hydrographfe of discharge at river-measurement stations on South Concho and Concho Rivers, July 20-3-1, 1938___ 55 18. Hydrographs of discharge at river-measurement stations on San Saba River at Menard and at San Saba, July 18-31, 1938--__-_-____._________________________________ 56 19. Hydrographs of discharge at river-measurement stations on North Llano and Llano Rivers, July 20-31, 1938_______ 57 20. Discharge, and silt content in percent and tons per second, at stations on the Colorado River, July-August 1938____ 96 21. Map of upper Colorado River Basin, showing rainfall stations, is'ohyetal lines of total rainfall June 19-20, 1939, and flood measuring points___________________________________ 105 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Rainfall, in inches, at certain Weather Bureau stations in east Texas, January 19-25, 1938__ _____ ___ ___ 9 2. Summary of peak discharges at certain river-measurement stations in Red and Sabine River Basins; January-Feb- - ruary 1938_________________________________ 10 3. Rainfall in Lake Creek Basin and adjacent area, June 1938-- 21 4. Maximum discharge of Lake Creek, June 1938-____________ 22 5. Daily and total rainfall, in inches, July 16-25, 1938, at points in central Texas_________'_______-i____________--_ 25 6. Total rainfall at miscellaneous points in central Texas, July 16-25, 1938__---______________________________ 28 7. Flood-crest stages on Colorado River, July 1938________ 48 VI CONTENTS Page TABLE 8. Flood-crest stages on San Saba River and Brady Creek, July 1938-,.-..--....-._____________________._._