Salt Fork Arkansas River Explained

Salt Fork Arkansas River
Name Other:Grand Saline River, Kicpahaatihariʾ, Little Arkansas River, Nesuketonga River, Red Fork Arkansas River
Map:Saltforkarkansasrivermap.png
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:United States
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:Kansas, Oklahoma
Subdivision Type5:Cities
Subdivision Name5:Alva, OK, Pond Creek, OK, Lamont, OK, Tonkawa, OK
Length:239miles
Discharge1 Location:USGS 07151000 at Tonkawa, OK[1]
Discharge1 Min:0cuft/s
Discharge1 Avg:927cuft/s
Discharge1 Max:57800cuft/s
Source1 Location:Comanche County, Kansas
Source1 Coordinates:37.1778°N -99.3633°W
Source1 Elevation:2042feet
Mouth:Arkansas River
Mouth Location:Kay County, Oklahoma
Mouth Coordinates:36.5994°N -97.0531°W
Mouth Elevation:896feet
Tributaries Left:Medicine Lodge River, Chikaskia River
Waterbodies:Great Salt Plains Lake
Custom Label:Watersheds
Custom Data:Salt Fork Arkansas-Arkansas-
Mississippi

The Salt Fork of the Arkansas River is a 239adj=midNaNadj=mid[2] tributary of the Arkansas River in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma in the United States. Via the Arkansas River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

Course

The Salt Fork rises in Comanche County, Kansas, and flows initially southeastwardly through Barber County, Kansas, and Woods County, Oklahoma, to the town of Alva, where it turns eastwardly for the remainder of its course through Alfalfa, Grant, Kay and Noble counties in Oklahoma, past the towns of Pond Creek, Lamont and Tonkawa. It flows into the Arkansas River in southern Kay County, 7miles south of Ponca City.

In Alfalfa County, a dam on the river impounds Great Salt Plains Lake, which is lined with salt flats and is the site of Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge and a state park.

The Salt Fork's largest tributaries are the Medicine Lodge River, which joins it in Alfalfa County, and the Chikaskia River, which joins it in Kay County.

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, the Salt Fork Arkansas River has also been known as:

  • Grand Sabine River
  • Grand Saline River
  • Kai it tu
  • Kits Kait
  • Kiz pahuti hoddi
  • Little Arkansas River
  • Little River
  • Ne Shudse Shunga
  • Nesuketonga River
  • Red Fork Arkansas River
  • Red Fork of Arkansas River
  • Salt Fork
  • Salt Fork Creek
  • Salt Fork of Arkansas River
  • Salt Fork of the Arkansas
  • Salt Fork of the Arkansas River
  • Salt Fork River

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Water-Data Report 2013 - 07151000 Salt Fork Arkansas River at Tonkawa, OK . U.S. Geological Survey . 2015-11-03.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 31, 2011