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Sugar Creek Watershed Study - North Canadian River

USGS Gage 07239050 - North Canadian River Tributary near Eagle City, Oklahoma

On December 3, 1996, The team surveyed one cross section, approximately 57 feet downstream from the concrete overfall of the concrete box culvert under State Highway 58. The survey party also profiled 100 feet downstream from the culvert and tied elevations back to the crest stage staff gage.

The USGS Crest Stage Gage 07239050 on the North Canadian River Tributary near Eagle City, was in operation from 1964 to 1975. Twelve years of record is not sufficient to produce a high confidence level in the peak discharge probability distribution. This site was selected (0.52 square miles drainage area) so that the regional curve would have data points for a drainage area less than one square mile.

Bankfull Characteristics

The cross section, located approximately (~) 57 feet downstream from the culvert is in a riffle section. The bed of the reach is composed of sands, gravels, and cobbles. A survey of the reaches' profile included bankfull indicators, channel thalweg elevations, and water surface elevations for 100 feet downstream from the outlet of the ten foot wide by seven foot high concrete box culvert. The cross section is in a transitional reach of high energy dissipation and the bankfull slope changes continuously. A second order curve fit was made from the bankfull indicators along the profile. The bankfull indicator in the cross section is the top of the sand/gravel bar. The bankfull slope (S = 0.04094 ft/ft) above the cross section is approximately twice the average slope in the watershed (S = 0.0212 ft/ft).

North Canadian River near Eagle City OK- Survey Results
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Bankfull properties were computed and recorded. Bankfull area is about 8 to 9 square feet, mean depth is about 0.8 feet, and the top width of the bankfull flow is about 12 feet, but widens to 17 feet with a small increase in depth. Bankfull discharge is approximately 45-54 cubic feet/sec (cfs). Applying Rosgen's Stream Classification, this reach is classified as a B4, the median sediment size is in the gravel size range, it has a moderate bankfull width to mean depth ratio (15), and is moderately entrenched (entrenchment ratio = 2.1). Dependent upon the range in bankfull discharge, Manning's roughness coefficient varies between 0.037-0.031 respectively, but is typically around 0.036 for a class B4 stream type.

North Canadian River near Eagle City OK- Survey Results
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This cross section is in a steep reach, below the influence of a box culvert. Most drainage areas of this size will most likely exhibit flatter stream slopes and therefore, larger bankfull cross sectional areas.

North Canadian River near Eagle City OK- Survey Results
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