7 – SOUTHERN PLAINS RIVERS

摘要: The Arkansas and the Red—two large, separate river basins—drain southern Great Plains region of US south Kansas River north Texas–Gulf coastal drainages. Rivers flow through Southern Plains, Central Prairie, Ozark Highlands, Ouachita Mississippi Embayment “freshwater ecoregions.” rivers fall into two different groups based on their upland versus lowland characteristics. group including Arkansas, Canadian, Red, Washita, Cimarron represents typical large to medium-size low-gradient prairie main stems with wide, shallow, braided, unstable sand-bed channels, often carrying heavy loads wood snags washed in by floods. Late-summer drying streams is a function both evapotranspiration lowered rainfall. Extreme rainfall events result annual or more frequent bankfull spates streambed scouring many smaller tributaries rivers. Clearing snagging for boat passage, contamination salt water from oil production, interbasin transfers have altered over years.