Topography and Drainage
Kingman County is at the southeast edge of the Kansas portion of the Great Plains physiographic province as designated by Schoewe (1949). Approximately the western half is in the High Plains and Dissected High Plains sections. The eastern half is within the Red Hills division of the Dissected High Plains (Fig. 3). The general slope of the land surface is toward the southeast and averages 10 feet per mile. The highest points in the county are at the center of the western border and in the sand-dune area in the southwest corner. The altitude in these areas is about 1,800 feet above sea level. The lowest points in the county are where South Fork of Ninnescah River and Chikaskia River leave the county in the east-central and southeastern parts of the county and are about 1,340 feet above sea level.
Figure 3--Map of Kansas showing physiographic divisions. (From Schoewe, 1949).
Topographic relief in the county results from dissection by South Fork of Ninnescah River, which flows eastward across the northern third of the county, and by Chikaskia River, which parallels South Fork in the southern third of the county. The intervening terrain, ranging in width from 10 to 13 miles, forms a gently sloping divide across the county, which is dissected by many short tributary creeks near the rivers.
A second ridge extends southeastward from the northwestern part of the county to a narrow termination near the town of Murdock and forms the divide between South Fork of Ninnescah River and Smoots Creek, one of its major tributaries. In the northeastern corner of the county a poorly defined ridge forms the divide between Smoots Creek and North Fork of Ninnescah River. Along the southern border of the county on the south side of Chikaskia River is another ridge, which rises abruptly from the valley and reaches a crest about on the county line. This ridge forms the divide between Chikaskia River and Bluff Creek, one of its major tributaries, which drains most of Harper County.
Surface drainage of most of the county is good. A few square miles along the northern boundary northeast of the city of Kingman is flat and has poor surface drainage, and some land bordering the rivers is waterlogged. South Fork of Ninnescah River drains nearly all of the northern half of the county. Its main tributaries are Smoots Creek, which joins near the center of the eastern border of the county, and Painter Creek, which joins the main stream near the town of Calista. North Fork of Ninnescah River crosses the extreme northeast corner of the county but drains only a few sections in the county. Chikaskia River drains the southern half of the county; its major tributary is Sand Creek, which flows along the southern boundary of the county in the southwest corner and joins the main stream near the town of Spivey.
The climate of Kingman County is subhumid and is characterized by moderate precipitation, reasonably mild winters, and fairly hot summers. A large percentage of the winter days are clear, but snow flurries are common. Ordinarily snow remains on the ground only a short time. The weather during spring and fall is mild and very pleasant, but summers are generally hot, and strong southerly winds are common.
The climatic data in this report are compiled from records of the U. S. Weather Bureau. The normal annual precipitation at Norwich, based on a 62-year record, is 29.28 inches. The lowest annual precipitation of record at Norwich was 12.40 inches in 1956 and the highest of record was 48.84 inches in 1915. About 70 percent of the annual precipitation falls as rain during the growing season from April through September. January has the lowest normal monthly precipitation, 0.70 inch, and May has the highest, 4.51 inches. Much of the precipitation in Kingman County falls in relatively short, heavy thunderstorms. The greatest rainfall ever recorded at Norwich in a 24-hour period was 5.77 inches on April 8, 1927.
The normal annual temperature at Norwich is 57.9° F. The normal monthly temperature ranges from 33.3° F in January to 81.5° F in July.