Streams in the Chautauqua Hills resemble those of the Flint Hills in physical characteristics, except that a larger admixture of sandstone occurs in the rubble.
CLIMATE
The climate of the area is characterized by those fluctuations of temperature, wind, and rainfall typical of the Great Plains. The mean annual temperature is 58 degrees; the mean July temperature is 81 degrees; the mean January temperature is approximately 34 degrees. The mean annual precipitation is 32.9 in Cowley County, 38.5 in Chautauqua County, and 35.1 in Elk County. Wind movement is great; Flora (1948:6) states that south-central Kansas ranks close to some of the windiest inland areas in the United States.
The area has been periodically subjected to droughts and floods. Such phenomena are of special interest to ichthyological workers in the area. At the time of this study drought conditions, which began in 1952, prevailed. Even in this period of drought, however, flooding occurred on Grouse Creek and water was high in Big Caney River after heavy local rains on the headwaters of these streams on June 22, 1956. Some of the lower tributaries of these same streams (such as Crab Creek and Cedar Creek) did not flow while the mainstreams were flooding. This illustrates the local nature of many of the summer rains in the area.
Table 1 indicates maximum, minimum, and average discharges in cubic feet per second at several stations in the area and on nearby streams. These figures were provided by the U. S. Geological Survey.
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.