The Salt Fork of the Arkansas River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed May 31, 2011

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...

in southern

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

and northern

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Via the Arkansas River, it is part of the watershed of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

Course

The Salt Fork rises in

Comanche County, Kansas Comanche County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Coldwater. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 1,689. The county was named after the Comanche tribe. History In 1867 ...

, and flows initially southeastwardly through

Barber County, Kansas Barber County is a county located in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Medicine Lodge. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 4,228. The county was named for Thomas ...

, and

Woods County, Oklahoma Woods County is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 8,624. Its county seat is Alva, Oklahoma, Alva. The county is ...

, to the town of Alva, where it turns eastwardly for the remainder of its course through

Alfalfa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial plant, perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, ...

, Grant, Kay and

Noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

counties in Oklahoma, past the towns of Pond Creek, Lamont and

Tonkawa The Tonkawa are a Native American tribe from Oklahoma and Texas. Their Tonkawa language, now extinct language, extinct, is a linguistic isolate. Today, Tonkawa people are enrolled in the Federally recognized tribes, federally recognized Tonkawa ...

. It flows into the Arkansas River in southern Kay County, south of Ponca City. In Alfalfa County, a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

on the river impounds Great Salt Plains Lake, which is lined with salt flats and is the site of

Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge The Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States system of national wildlife refuges. It is located in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, Alfalfa County in northern Oklahoma, north of Jet, Oklahoma, Jet (pop. 230), along Great Salt P ...

and a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...

. 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 Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and location information about more than two million physical and cultural features, encompassing the United States and its territories; the Compact of Free Association, asso ...

, the Salt Fork Arkansas River has also been known as:

References

Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry
*

DeLorme DeLorme Publishing Company is a producer of personal satellite tracking, messaging, and navigation technology. The company's main product, ''inReach'', integrates GPS and satellite technologies. ''inReach'' provides the ability to send and rec ...

(2003). ''Kansas Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. . *

(2003). ''Oklahoma Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. . {{authority control Rivers of Kansas Rivers of Oklahoma Rivers of Alfalfa County, Oklahoma Rivers of Barber County, Kansas Rivers of Comanche County, Kansas Rivers of Grant County, Oklahoma Rivers of Kay County, Oklahoma Rivers of Noble County, Oklahoma Rivers of Woods County, Oklahoma Tributaries of the Arkansas River

Course

Variant names

See also

References