Quality of Surface Waters of the United States 1956 Parts 7 and 8. Lower Mississippi River Basin and Western Gulf of Mexico Basins Prepared under the direction of S. K. LOVE, Chief, Quality of Water Branch GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1452 Prepared in cooperation with the States of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, and with other agencies UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1960 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FRED A. SEATON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D. C. - Price $1.50 (paper cover) PREFACE This report was prepared by the Geological Survey in cooper­ ation with the States of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Okla­ homa, and Texas, and with other agencies. The data were collected and computed by personnel of the Water Resources Division under the direction of C. G. Paulsen, chief hydraulic engineer, succeededby L. B. Leopold;S. K. Love, chief, Quality of Water Branch, and supervised by district or regional chemists and engineers: P. C. Benedict .................... Lincoln, Nebr. T. B. Dover .................. Oklahoma City, Okla. J. W. Geurin ....................Fayetteville, Ark. Burdge Irelan .........................Austin, Tex. J. M. Stow ................. Albuquerque, N. Mex. Ill CONTENTS Page Introduction ........................................... 1 Collection and examination of samples .................... 3 Chemical quality...................................... 3 Temperature ......................................... 4 Sediment............................................. 4 Expression of results ................................... 6 Composition of surface waters .......................... 8 Mineral constituents in solution ........................ 9 Silica .............................................. 9 Aluminum........................................... 9 Manganese.......................................... 9 Iron................................................ 10 Calcium ............................................ 10 Magnesium.......................................... 10 Sodium and potassium ................................ 11 Carbonate and bicarbonate ........................... 11 Sulfate.............................................. 11 Chloride............................................ 11 Fluoride............................................ 11 Nitrate ............................................. 12 Boron .............................................. 12 Dissolved solids..................................... 13 Properties and characteristics of water ................. 13 Water temperature .................................. 13 Oxygen consumed.................................... 13 Color............................................... 13 Hydrogen-ion concentration........................... 14 Specific conductance ................................. 14 Hardness ........................................... 14 Total acidity ........................................ 15 Corrosiveness ...................................... 15 Percent sodium ..................................... 15 Sodium-adsorption-ratio ............................. 16 Sediment............................................. 16 Streamflow ............................................ 17 Publications ........................................... 17 Cooperation ........................................... 19 Division of work........................................ 22 Literature cited........................................ 22 Chemical analyses, water temperatures, and suspended sediment ......................................... 24 VI CONTENTS Chemical analyses, etc. --Continued Page Part 7. Lower Mississippi River basin ................ 24 Mississippi River at St. Louis, Mo. (main stem) ...... 24 St. Francis River basin ............................ 28 Miscellaneous analyses of streams in St. Francis River basin in Arkansas ......................... 28 White River basin .................................. 29 War Eagle Creek near Hindsville, Ark ............. 29 Kings River near Berryville, Ark ................. 30 White River at Bull Shoals Dam, Ark .............. 31 White River at Cotter, Ark ....................... 33 Buffalo River near St. Joe, Ark ................... 35 North Fork River at Norfork Dam, near Norfork, Ark. 36 Black River near Corning, Ark .................... 37 Current River near Pocanhontas, Ark ............. 38 Spring River at Imboden, Ark .................... 39 Eleven Point River near Ravenden Springs, Ark ..... 42 Strawberry River near Poughkeepsie, Ark .......... 43 White River at Newport, Ark ..................... 44 Little Red River near Heber Springs, Ark .......... 47 Bayou De View near Brasfield, Ark ............... 48 White River at Clarendon, Ark .................... 49 Miscellaneous analyses of strams in White River basin in Arkansas ............................... 53 Arkansas River basin............................... 54 Arkansas River below John Martin Reservoir, Colo .. 54 Arkansas River at Arkansas City, Kans ........... 57 Chikaskia River near Blackwell, Okla ............. 61 Red Rock Creek near Red Rock, Okla .............. 62 Arkansas River at Ralston, Okla .................. 63 Black Bear Creek at Pawnee, Okla ................ 66 Cimarron River near Kenton, Okla ................ 67 Cimarron River near Mocane, Okla ................ 68 Cottonwood Creek near Guthrie, Okla .............. 70 Cimarron River at Perkins, Okla .................. 71 Arkansas River at Sand Springs Bridge, near Tulsa, Okla .......................................... 75 Verdigris River near Lenapah, Okla ............... 79 Verdigris River near Inola, Okla .................. 82 Neosho (Grand) River near Langley, Okla .......... 87 Neosho (Grand) River at Fort Gibson Reservoir, near Fort Gibson, Okla .............................. 89 Illinois River near Watts, Okla .................... 91 Illinois River at Tenkiller Reservoir near Gore, Okla. 92 Canadian River near Amarillo, Tex ................ 94 Canadian River at Bridgeport, Okla ................ 97 Little River below Hog Creek, near Norman, Okla ... 101 Little River near Sasakwa, Okla ................... 104 CONTENTS VII Chemical analyses, etc. Continued Part 7. Lower Mississippi River basin--Continued Arkansas River basin--Continued Page North Canadian River near Selling, Okla ............ 108 North Canadian River at Canton Reservoir, near Canton, Okla .................................... 109 North Canadian River near El Reno, Okla ............ 110 North Canadian River near Wetumka, Okla .......... 113 Deep Fork near Beggs, Okla ...................... 117 Canadian River near Whitefield, Okla ............... 121 Sallisaw Creek near Sallisaw, Okla ................. 125 Fourche Maline near Red Oak, Okla ................. 126 Poteau River at Cauthron, Ark ..................... 127 Lee Creek near Van Buren, Ark .................... 128 Arkansas River at Van Buren, Ark ................. 129 Mulberry River near Mulberry, Ark ................ 134 Piney Creek near Dover, Ark ..................... 137 Illinois Bayou near Scottsville, Ark ................. 140 Arkansas River at Dardanelle, Ark ................. 143 Cadron Creek near Conway, Ark .................... 148 Arkansas River at Little Rock, Ark ................. 151 Miscellaneous analyses lof streams in Arkansas River basin in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri .......... 155 Miscellaneous analyses of streams in Arkansas River basin in Arkansas .......................... 165 Miscellaneous analyses of streams in Arkansas River basin in Texas .................................. 166 Red River basin .................................... 168 Salt Fork Red River near Hedley, Tex .............. 168 East Cache Creek near Elgin, Okla ................. 170 Little Wichita River near Archer City, Tex .......... 173 Little Wichita River near Henrietta, Tex ............ 174 Beaver Creek near Waurika, Okla .................. 175 Red River near Gainesville, Tex ................... 178 Washita River near Carnegie, Okla ................. 182 Washita River near Pauls Valley, Okla .............. 186 Washita River near Durwood, Okla ................. 187 Red River at Denison Dam, near Denison, Tex ....... 191 North Boggy Creek near Stringtown, Okla ........... 193 Clear Boggy Creek near Caney, Okla ................ 194 Tenmile Creek near Miller, Okla ................... 197 Little River near Horatio, Ark ..................... 198 Red River at Fulton, Ark .......................... 201 Black Bayou near Gilliam, La ..................... 205 Red River at Shreveport, La ....................... 206 Bayou Dorcheat near Minden, La .................. 209 Cypress Bayou near Benton, La .................... 210 Loggy Bayou near Minock, La ..................... 211 Saline Bayou near Lucky, La ...................... 212 VIII CONTENTS Chemical analyses, etc. Continued Part 7. Lower Mississippi River basin--Continued Red River basin--Continued Page Black Lake Bayou near Castor, La ................ 213 Red River at Alexandria, La ..................... 214 Ouachita River at Arkadelphia, Ark ............... 217 Ouachita River near Felsenthal, Ark .............. 221 Cornie Bayou near-Three Creeks, Ark ............ 226 Three Creeks near Three Creeks, Ark ............ 229 Corney Bayou near Lillie, La ..................... 232 Ouachita River at Monroe, La .................... 233 Boeuf River near Girard, La ....................