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| Wichita River | |
|---|---|
 The Wichita River, as seen from Lucy Park in Wichita Falls, Texas | |
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| Location | |
| Country | United States |
TheWichita River (/ˈwɪtʃɪtɔː/WITCH-i-taw) is a river ofNorthwest Texas that is part of theRed Riverwatershed. Rising in northeasternKnox County at the confluence of its North and South Forks, the river flows 90 miles (140 km) northeast acrossBaylor,Archer,Wichita, andClay counties before joining the Red River just west of Byers Bend in northern Clay County.
TheTexan Santa Fe Expedition crossed the river at the site of present-day Wichita Falls in 1841 and found a largeWichita Indian village at the site; the river was later named after the tribe. The largest human settlement on the river is the city ofWichita Falls, which was named after a five-footwaterfall on the river that later washed away in a flood in 1886. The city after nearly 100 years of visitors wanting to visit the non-existent falls built anartificial waterfall beside the river in Lucy Park. The recreated falls are 54 feet (16 m) high and recirculate at 3,500 gallons per minute. They are visible to south-bound traffic onInterstate 44.
The river isdammed in Archer County, formingLake Diversion, and in Baylor County, formingLake Kemp; there are also two smallreservoirs on the river in Wichita County, one furnishing water for the town ofIowa Park and the other providing water for localirrigation.
The Wichita River has three tributaries; the Wichita proper, as stated above, is formed by the confluence of its North and South Forks. TheNorth Fork runs for 100 miles (160 km) from northeasternDickens County throughKing,Cottle, andFoard counties before joining the South Fork. TheMiddle Fork flows 35 miles (56 km) from north-central King County to its meeting with the North Fork in southwestern Foard County. TheSouth Fork rises in eastern Dickens County and runs for 100 miles (160 km) through King and Knox Counties before joining the North Fork; the King Countyseat ofGuthrie lies on the South Fork.
33°43′N99°29′W / 33.717°N 99.483°W /33.717; -99.483
