Fishes of
Chautauqua, Cowley and
Elk Counties, Kansas

BY

ARTIE L. METCALF

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Aims of the distributional study here reported on concerning the fishes of a part of the Arkansas River Basin of south-central Kansas were as follows:

(1) Ascertain what species occur in streams of the three counties.

(2) Ascertain habitat preferences for the species found.

(3) Distinguish faunal associations existing in different parts of the same stream.

(4) Describe differences and similarities among the fish faunas of the several streams in the area.

(5) Relate the findings to the over-all picture of east-west distribution of fishes in Kansas.

(6) List any demonstrable effects of intermittency of streams on fish distribution within the area.

Cowley and Chautauqua counties form part of the southern border of Kansas, and Elk County lies directly north of Chautauqua. The following report concerns data only from those three counties unless otherwise noted. They make up an area of 2,430 square miles having a population of 50,960 persons in 1950 (55,552 in 1940, and 60,375 in 1930). The most populous portion of the area is western Cowley County where Arkansas City with 12,903 inhabitants and Winfield with 10,264 inhabitants are located. Each of the other towns has less than 2,000 inhabitants. In the Flint Hills, which cross the central portion of the area surveyed, population is sparse and chiefly in the valleys.

Topographically, the area is divisible into three general sections: the extensive Wellington formation and the floodplain of the Arkansas River in western Cowley County; the Flint Hills in the central part of the area; and the "Chautauqua Hills" in the eastern part. The drainage pattern is shown in Figure 1.

The Wellington formation, which is devoid of sharp relief, borders the floodplain of the Arkansas River through most of its course in Cowley County. A short distance south of Arkansas City, however, the Arkansas is joined by the Walnut River and enters a narrow valley walled by steep, wooded slopes. Frye and Leonard (1952:198) suggest that this valley was originally carved by the Walnut River, when the Arkansas River flowed southward west of its present course. They further suggest that during Nebraskan glacial time the Arkansas probably was diverted to the rapidly downcutting Walnut. The Arkansas River has a gradient of 3.0 ft. per mile in Cowley County. This gradient and others cited were computed, by use of a cartometer, from maps made by the State Geological Survey of Kansas and the United States Geological Survey.

Northward along the Walnut, steep bluffs and eroded gulleys characterize both sides of the river, especially in southern Cowley County. Two massive limestones, the Fort Riley and the Winfield, form the bluffs in most places. The well-defined Winfield limestone is persistent on the west bank of the river across the entire county. The Walnut has only a few small tributaries in the southern half of Cowley County (Fig. 1). In the northern half, however, it is joined from the east by Timber Creek and Rock Creek. Timber Creek drains a large level area, formed by the eroded upper portion of the Fort Riley limestone, in the north-central portion of the county. The gradient of Timber Creek is 12.9 feet per mile. The gradient of the Walnut River is only 2.3 ft. per mile from its point of entrance into the county to its mouth.

Grouse Creek, like the Walnut, has formed a valley of one to three miles in width, rimmed by prominent wooded bluffs. Those on the west side are capped by the Fort Riley limestone with the resistant Wreford and Crouse limestones forming lower escarpments. On the east side the Wreford and Crouse limestones provide the only escarpments along the stream above the Vinton community, except for occasional lower outcrops of Morrill limestone. Below Vinton the Fort Riley limestone again appears, capping the hills above the Wreford limestone. The headwaters of the western tributaries of Grouse Creek are generally in the Doyle shale formation; the eastern tributaries are in the Wreford limestone, Matfield shale, and Barnestone limestone formations. The gradient of Grouse Creek is 9 ft. per mile, of Silver Creek 14.6 ft. per mile, and of Crab Creek 14.4 ft. per mile.

The Big Caney River (Fig. 1), having a gradient of 15.4 ft. per mile in the area studied, drains an area with considerable geological and topographic variation. The main stream and its western tributaries originate in Permian formations, whereas the eastern tributaries originate in Pennsylvanian formations. Cedar Creek is exemplary of western tributaries of Big Caney. This creek arises in the Wreford limestone, as do several nearby tributaries of Grouse Creek. Although the Grouse tributaries descend through only part of the Council Grove group, Cedar Creek flows downward through the entire Grove, Admire, and Wabaunsee groups and part of the Shawnee Group (Moore, 1951). In only 15 miles, Cedar Creek traverses formations comprising more than 60 per cent of the entire exposed stratigraphic section in Cowley County. Bass (1929:16) states that reliefs of 350 feet within a mile are present in parts of this area.

Large terraces of limestone characterize the eastern flank of the Flint Hills, which the western tributaries of Big Caney drain. Most striking is the Foraker limestone. It characteristically consists of three massive members in Cowley County, the uppermost of which forms the prominent first crest of the Flint Hills. As the rapid-flowing western tributaries of Big Caney descend over these successive limestone members, large quantities of chert and limestone rubble are transported and deposited in stream beds of the system. In many places the streams of the Big Caney system flow over resistant limestone members, which form a bedrock bottom. The eastern tributaries of Big Caney drain, for the most part, formations of the Wabaunsee group of the Pennsylvanian. Most of these streams have lower gradients than those entering Big Caney from the west. The tributaries of Big Caney, along with length in miles and gradient in feet per mile, are as follows: Spring Creek, 7.1, 54.5; Union Creek, 6.3, 42.9; Otter Creek, 14.6, 27.4; Cedar Creek, 11.6, 31.0; Rock Creek, 15.9, 26.5; Wolf Creek, 9.3, 17.2; Turkey Creek, 8.5, 26.4; Grant Creek, 13.9, 23.4; and Sycamore Creek, 8.9, 27.0.

Spring Creek and Union Creek are short and have formed no extensive floodplain. The high gradients of these creeks are characteristic also of the upper portions of several other tributaries such as Cedar Creek and Otter Creek.

Middle Caney Creek (Fig. 1) has its source in the Wabaunsee and Shawnee groups of the Pennsylvanian but its watershed is dominated by the "Chautauqua Hills" of the Douglas Group. This area is described by Moore (1949:127) as "an upland formed by hard sandstone layers." The rough rounded hills supporting thick growths of oaks differ in appearance from both the Big Caney watershed on the west and the Verdigris River watershed on the east. The gradient of Middle Caney in Chautauqua County is 10.8 feet per mile. Its largest tributary, North Caney Creek, has a gradient of 15.5 feet per mile.

The Elk River Basin resembles the Big Caney River Basin topographically. Elk River has a gradient of 14.4 feet per mile.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF STREAMS

The stream channels derive their physical characteristics from the geological make-up of the area and from land-use. The Arkansas River typically has low banks; however, in a few places, as in the NE ¼ of Section 21, T. 33 S, R. 3 E, it cuts into limestone members to form steep rocky banks. The bottom is predominantly sand. In years of heavy rainfall the river is turbid, but during 1956, when it occupied only a small portion of its channel, it was clear each time observed. All streams surveyed were clear except after short periods of flooding in June, and except in some isolated pools where cattle had access to the water.

In the Walnut River, sand bottoms occur in the lower part of the stream but the sand is coarser than that of the Arkansas River. Upstream, gravel and rubble bottoms become more common. Steep rocky banks border most of the course of the Walnut. During 1956, stream-flow was confined to the center of the channel, remote from these rocky banks.

The rubble and bedrock bottoms found in most streams of the Flint Hills have been described. In the alluvial valleys of their lower courses mud bottoms are found. Gravel is present in some places but sand is absent. Banks are variable but often steep and wooded. Along east- or west-flowing streams the north bank characteristically is low and sloping whereas the south bank is high, rises abruptly, and in many places is continuous with wooded hills. The lower sections of Otter Creek, Cedar Creek, and Rock Creek fit this description (Bass, 1929:19) especially well, as does Elk River near Howard.

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.

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.

Table 2.—Monthly Means of Daily Discharge in Cubic Feet per Second for Big Caney River at Elgin, Kansas

PRESENT FLORA

The flora of the region varies greatly at the present time. Land-use has altered the original floral communities, especially in the intensively cultivated area of western Cowley County and in the river valleys.

The sandy Arkansas River floodplain exhibits several stages ranging from sparsely vegetated sandy mounds near the river through stages of Johnson grass, willow, and cottonwood, to an elm-hackberry fringe-forest. The Wellington formation bordering the floodplain supports a prairie flora where not disturbed by cultivation; Gates (1936:15) designates this as a part of the mixed bluestem and short-grass region. Andropogon gerardi Vitman., Andropogon scoparius Michx., Sorghastrum nutans (L.), and Panicum virgatum L. are important grasses in the hilly pasture-lands. Although much of this land is virgin prairie, the tall, lush condition of the grasses described by early writers such as Mooso (1888:304), and by local residents, is not seen today. These residents speak of slough grasses (probably Tripsacum dactyloides L. and Spartina pectinata Link.) that originally formed rank growths. These no doubt helped conserve water and stabilize flow in small headwater creeks. Remnants of some of these sloughs can still be found. The streams in the Flint Hills have fringe-forests of elm, hackberry, walnut, ash, and willow.

Eastward from the Flint Hills these fringe-forests become thicker with a greater admixture of hickories and oaks. The north slopes of hills also become more wooded. However, grassland remains predominant over woodland in western Chautauqua and Elk counties, whereas in the eastern one-half of Chautauqua County and the eastern one-third of Elk County the wooded Chautauqua Hills prevail. This is one of the most extensive wooded upland areas in Kansas. Hale (1955:167) describes this woodland as part of an ecotonal scrub-oak forest bordering the Great Plains south through Texas. He found stand dominants in these wooded areas to be Quercus marilandica Muenchh., Quercus stellata Wang., and Quercus velutina Lam.

Few true aquatic plants were observed in the Arkansas River although mats of duckweed were found in shallow backwater pools at station A-3 (Fig. 2) on December 22, 1956. In the Walnut River Najas guadalupensis Spreng. was common at station W-2. Stones were usually covered with algae in both the Arkansas and Walnut rivers. A red bloom, possibly attributable to Euglena rubra (Johnson), was observed on a tributary of the Walnut River on July 9, 1956, at station W-4.

Green algae were abundant at all stations in the Caney, Elk, and Grouse systems during May and June, 1956, and reappeared late in September. Chara sp. was common in these streams in April and May.

The most characteristic rooted aquatic of streams in the Flint Hills was Justicia americana L. At station G-7 on Grouse Creek and Station C-8 on Big Caney River (Fig. 3), Nelumbo lutea (Willd.) was found. Myriophyllum heterophyllum Michx. formed dense floating mats at a number of stations. Other aquatic plants observed in the Caney, Elk, and Grouse systems included Potamogeton gramineus L., Potamogeton nodosus Poir., Potamogeton foliosus Raf., Sagittaria latifolia Willd., Typha latifolia L., and Jussiaea diffusa Forsk.

HISTORY

In 1857, a survey was made of the southern boundary of Kansas. Several diaries (Miller, 1932; Caldwell, 1937; Bieber, 1932) were kept by members of the surveying party, which traveled from east to west. These accounts contain complaints of difficulty in traversing a country of broken ridges and gulleys as the party approached the area now comprising Chautauqua County. One account by Hugh Campbell, astronomical computer for the party (Caldwell, 1937) mentions rocky ridges covered with dense growth of "black jack," while another by Col. Joseph Johnson, Commander (Miller, 1932) speaks of "a good deal of oakes in the heights"—indicating that the upland oak forest of the Chautauqua Hills was in existence at that time. On reaching Big Caney River near Elgin, Campbell wrote of a stream with very high banks and of a valley timbered with oak and black walnut. While the party was encamped on Big Caney River some fishing was done. Campbell (Caldwell, 1937:353) described the fish taken as "Cat, Trout or Bass, Buffalo and Garr." Eugene Bandel (Bieber, 1932:152) wrote, "This forenoon we did not expect to leave camp, and therefore we went fishing. In about two hours we caught more fish than the whole company could eat. There were some forty fish caught, some of them weighing over ten pounds." It was noted that the waters of Big Caney and its tributaries were "very clear." Progressing up Rock Creek, Johnson wrote of entering a high rolling plain covered with fine grass, and crossed occasionally by clear wooded streams (probably Big and Little Beaver Creeks and Grouse Creek). The diary of Hugh Campbell (Caldwell, 1937:354) contains a description of the Arkansas River Valley near the Oklahoma border. "The Arkansas River at this point is about 300 yards wide, its waters are muddy, not quite so much so, as those of the Mississippi or Rio Bravo. Its valley is wooded and about two miles in width, the main bottom here, being on the east side. On the west it is a rolling prairie as far as the eye can see, affording excellent grass." Some seining was done while encamped on the Arkansas River and "buffalo, catfish, sturgeons, and gars" were taken (Bieber, 1932:156).

An editorial in the Winfield Courier of November 16, 1899, vigorously registers concern about a direct effect of settlement on fish populations in rivers of the area:

"The fish in the streams of Cowley County are being slaughtered by the thousands, by the unlawful use of the seine and the deadly hoop net. Fish are sold on the market every day, sometimes a tubful at a time, which never swallowed a hook.

"The fish law says it is unlawful to seine, snare, or trap fish but some of the smaller streams in the county, it is said are so full of hoop and trammel nets that a minnow cannot get up or down stream. These nets not only destroy what fish there are in the streams but they keep other fish from coming in, they are not operated as a rule by farmers to supply their own tables but by fellows who catch the fish to sell with no thought or care for the welfare of others who like to catch and eat fish.

"If there is a fishwarden in Cowley County so far as his utility goes the county would be as well off without him and his inactivity has caused many of those interested to get together for the purpose of seeing that the law is enforced.

"Depredations like this work injury in more ways than one. They not only deplete the streams of fish large enough to eat and destroy the source of supply but if the U. S. Fish Commission discovers that the law is not enforced and the fish not protected, there will be no free government fish placed in Cowley County streams. It is useless for the Government to spend thousands of dollars to keep the streams well supplied if a few outlaws are allowed to ruthlessly destroy them. The new organization has its eye on certain parties now and something is liable to drop unexpectedly soon."

Graham (1885:78) listed 13 species of fish that had already been introduced into Kansas waters prior to 1885 by the State Fish Commission.

These early references indicate that direct effects of settlement on the native flora and fauna were recognized early. Concern such as that expressed in the editorial above persists today; however, it is not clear whether the fish fauna of the streams of the area has been essentially changed by man's predation. The indirect effects through human modifications of the environment seem to be of much importance. Three modifications which have especially affected streams have been agricultural use, urbanization, and industrialization.

The effect of land-use on streams is closely related to its effect on the flora of the watershed. Turbidity, sedimentation, and the rate, periodicity, and manner of flow all bear some relationship to the land-use of the watershed. Stream-flow in the area has been discussed in the section on climate.

The effects of urbanization are more tangible and better recognized than those of agricultural land-use. Streams that flow through cities and other populous areas undergo some modification, especially of the streamside flora. Another effect of urbanization has been increased loads of sewage discharged into the streams. The combined populations of Arkansas City and Winfield rose from 3,986 in 1880 to 23,167 in 1950. Arkansas City found it necessary to construct a sewage system in 1889; Winfield in 1907.

There are, at the present time, nine towns within the area that have municipal sewage systems. The State Training Home at Winfield also has a sewage system. The Kansas State Board of Health, Division of Sanitation, has provided information concerning adequacy of these systems and certain others in nearby counties as of February 5, 1957. This information is shown in Table 3.

Representatives of the Division of Sanitation, Kansas State Board of Health, expressed the belief that pollution by both domestic sewage and industrial wastes would be largely eliminated in the "lower Arkansas" and in the Walnut watershed by 1959.

Important oil and gas resources have been discovered in each of the three counties. The first producing wells were drilled between 1900 and 1902 (Jewett and Abernathy, 1945:24). The Arkansas River flows through several oilfields in its course across Cowley County (Jewett and Abernathy, 1945:97). A number of producing wells have been drilled in the Grouse Creek watershed since 1939 and many of these wells are near the banks of the creek. In the Big Caney watershed of Cowley and Chautauqua counties there has been little oil production in recent years; however, a few small pools are presently producing in southwestern Elk County.

Clapp (1920:33) stated that "Many of the finest streams of our state are now destitute of fish on account of oil and salt pollution. The Walnut River, once as fine a bass stream as could be found anywhere, and a beautiful stream, too, is now a murky oil run, and does not contain a single fish so far as I know. The Fall and Verdigris rivers are practically ruined. Both the Caney rivers are affected, and may soon be ruined for fishing." Doze (1924:31) noted "Some of the finest streams in the state have been ruined as habitat for wild life, the Walnut River is probably the most flagrant example."

Table 3.—Sewage Disposal Facilities in Some South-central Kansas Communities.

Pollution by petroleum wastes from refineries has also affected the streams studied. The only refinery within the area is at Arkansas City. In Butler County there are four refineries on the Walnut watershed upstream from the area surveyed. Metzler (1952) noted that "fish-kills" occurred from the mid-1940's until 1952 in connection with wastes periodically discharged from these refineries. However, the largest kill, in 1944, was attributed to excessive brine pollution.

In Arkansas City a meat-packing plant, a large railroad workshop, two flour mills, two milk plants, and several small manufacturing plants contribute wastes which may figure in industrial pollution. There are milk plants and small poultry processing plants at Winfield. In Chautauqua and Elk Counties there is little industrial activity.

CONSERVATION

In recent years several measures have been implemented or proposed to conserve the water and land resources of the Arkansas River Basin. Droughts and floods have focused public attention on such conservation. Less spectacular, but nevertheless important, problems confronting conservationists include streambank erosion, channel deterioration, silting, recreational demands for water, and irrigation needs.

Congress has authorized the U. S. Corps of Engineers (by the Flood Control Act of 1941) to construct six dam and reservoir projects in the Verdigris watershed. Two of these—Hulah Reservoir in Osage County, Oklahoma, on Big Caney River, and Fall River Reservoir in Greenwood County, Kansas—have been completed. Other reservoirs authorized in the Verdigris watershed include Toronto, Neodesha, and Elk City (Table Mound) in Kansas and Oologah in Oklahoma. Construction is underway on the Toronto Reservoir and some planning has been accomplished on the Neodesha and Elk City projects.

The possibilities of irrigation projects in the Verdigris and Walnut River basins are under investigation by the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Foley, et al., 1955:F18).

An area of 11 square miles in Chautauqua and Montgomery Counties is included in the Aiken Creek "Pilot Watershed Project," a co-operative effort by federal, state, and local agencies to obtain information as to the effects of an integrated watershed protection program (Foley, et al., 1955:131).

PREVIOUS ICHTHYOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS

Few accounts of fishes in the area here reported on have been published. Evermann and Fordice (1886:184) made a collection from Timber Creek at Winfield in 1884.

The State Biological Survey collected actively from 1910 to 1912, but localities visited in the Arkansas River System were limited to the Neosho and Verdigris River basins (Breukelman, 1940:377). The only collection made in the area considered here was on the Elk River in Elk County on July 11, 1912. The total species list of this collection is not known.

In the years 1924-1929 Minna E. Jewell collected at various places in central Kansas. On June 30, 1925, Jewell and Frank Jobes made collections on Timber Creek and Silver Creek in Cowley County.

Hoyle (1936:285) mentions collections made by himself and Dr. Charles E. Burt, who was then Professor of Biology at Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas. Records in the Department of Biology, Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia, indicate that Dr. Burt and others made collections in the area which have not been published on.

Table 4.—Collections Made by Dr. Frank B. Cross of the State Biological Survey in 1955.

Claire Schelske (1957) studied fishes of the Fall and Verdigris Rivers in Wilson and Montgomery counties from March, 1954, to February, 1955.

In the annotated list of species that follows, records other than mine are designated by the following symbols:

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am grateful to Professor Frank B. Cross for his interest in my investigation, for his counsel, and for his penetrating criticism of this paper. This study would have been impossible without the assistance of several persons who helped in the field. Mr. Artie C. Metcalf and Mr. Delbert Metcalf deserve special thanks for their enthusiastic and untiring co-operation in collecting and preserving of specimens. Mrs. Artie C. Metcalf, Miss Patricia Metcalf, Mr. Chester Metcalf, and Mr. Forrest W. Metcalf gave help which is much appreciated. I am indebted to the following persons for numerous valuable suggestions: Dr. John Breukelman, Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Kansas; Dr. George Moore, Oklahoma A&M College, and Mr. W. L. Minckley, Lawrence, Kansas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Collections were made by means of: (1) a four-foot net of nylon screen; (2) a 10×4-foot "common-sense" woven seine with ¼-inch mesh; (3) a 15×4-foot knotted mesh seine; (4) a 20×5-foot ¼-inch mesh seine; (5) pole and line (natural and artificial baits). At most stations the four-foot, ten-foot, and twenty-foot seines were used; however, the equipment that was used varied according to the size of pool, number of obstructions, nature of bottom, amount of flow, and type of streambank. Usually several hours were spent at each station and several stations were revisited from time to time. Percentages noted in the List of Species represent the relative number taken in the first five seine-hauls at each station.

COLLECTING STATIONS

Collecting was done at stations listed below and shown in Fig. 2. Each station was assigned a letter, designating the stream system on which the station was located, and a number which indicates the position of the station on the stream. This number increases progressively upstream from mouth to source. Code letters used are as follows: A&Mdash;Arkansas River; W—Walnut River System; B—Beaver Creek System; C—Big Caney River System; G—Grouse Creek System; M—Middle Caney Creek System; E—Elk River System. All dates are in the year 1956.