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.
=======================================================================
Community | Status on February 5, | Remarks
| 1957 |
-----------------------+------------------------+----------------------
Cowley County: | |
Arkansas City | Discharging raw sewage | Adequate plant in
| | design stage.
Geuda Springs | Discharging raw sewage |
Winfield | Inadequate |
State training school| Adequate |
Udall | Adequate |
-----------------------+------------------------+----------------------
Chautauqua County: | |
Cedar Vale | Inadequate |
Sedan | Adequate | In operation 30
| | days.
Elgin | Adequate |
-----------------------+------------------------+----------------------
Elk County: | |
Moline | Inadequate |
Howard | Adequate |
-----------------------+------------------------+----------------------
Sumner County: | |
Belle Plaine | Discharging raw sewage | Adequate plant under
| | construction.
Mulvane | Discharging raw sewage | Adequate plant under
| | construction.
Oxford | Discharging raw sewage | Construction on
| | adequate plant to
| | start soon.
-----------------------+------------------------+----------------------
Butler County: | |
Augusta | Adequate |
El Dorado | Discharging raw sewage | Adequate plant under
| | construction.
Douglass | Discharging raw sewage | Adequate plant to
| | go into operation
| | within 30 days.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.