Salt Fork Arkansas River

The Salt Fork of the Arkansas River is a 239-mile-long (385 km)[3] 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.

Salt Fork Arkansas River Grand Saline River, Kicpahaatihariʾ, Little Arkansas River, Nesuketonga River, Red Fork Arkansas River[1]
The Salt Fork at Tonkawa, Oklahoma
Map of the Salt Fork Arkansas watershed
Location
Country	United States
State	Kansas, Oklahoma
Cities	Alva, OK, Pond Creek, OK, Lamont, OK, Tonkawa, OK
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Comanche County, Kansas
• coordinates	37°10′40″N 99°21′48″W
• elevation	2,042 ft (622 m)
Mouth	Arkansas River
• location	Kay County, Oklahoma
• coordinates	36°35′58″N 97°03′11″W[1]
• elevation	896 ft (273 m)
Length	239 mi (385 km)
Discharge
• location	USGS 07151000 at Tonkawa, OK[2]
• average	927 cu ft/s (26.2 m^3/s)
• minimum	0 cu ft/s (0 m^3/s)
• maximum	57,800 cu ft/s (1,640 m^3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Medicine Lodge River, Chikaskia River
Waterbodies	Great Salt Plains Lake
Watersheds	Salt Fork Arkansas-Arkansas- Mississippi

Course

The Salt Fork near Alva, Oklahoma

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, 7 miles (11 km) 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

• List of Kansas rivers
• List of Oklahoma rivers

References

1. "Salt Fork Arkansas River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
2. "Water-Data Report 2013 - 07151000 Salt Fork Arkansas River at Tonkawa, OK" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
3. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 31, 2011

• Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry
• DeLorme (2003). Kansas Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-342-7.
• DeLorme (2003). Oklahoma Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-283-8.