Table 1.—Cubic Feet Per Second of Water Discharged at Gauging Stations in Chautauqua, Elk, Montgomery, and Cowley Counties for Years Prior to 1951.
| Gauging station | Drainage area (sq. mi.) | Avg discharge | Maximum discharge | Date | Minimum discharge | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas River at Arkansas City | 43,713 | 1,630 | 103,000 | June 10, 1923 | 1 | October 9, 1921 |
| Walnut River at Winfield | 1,840 | 738 | 105,000 | April 23, 1944 | 0 | 1928, 1936 |
| Big Caney River at Elgin | 445 | 264 | 35,500 | April 10, 1944 | 0 | 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947 |
| Elk River near Elk City | 575 | 393 | 39,200 | April 16, 1945 | 0 | 1939, 1940, 1946 |
| Fall River near Fall River | 591 | 359 | 45,600 | April 16, 1945 | 0 | 1939, 1940, 1946 |
| Verdigris River at Independence | 2,892 | 1,649 | 117,000 | April 17, 1945 | 0 | 1932, 1934, 1936, 1939, 1940 |
Something of the effect that drought and flash-flood have had on Big Caney River is shown by the monthly means of daily discharge from October, 1954, to September, 1956, at the stream-gauging station near Elgin, Kansas (Table 2). Within these monthly variations there are also pronounced daily fluctuations; on Big Caney River approximately ¼ mile south of Elgin, Kansas, discharge in cubic feet per second for May, 1944, ranged from .7 to 9,270.0 and for May, 1956, from .03 to 20.0.