Wichita River

River in northern Texas; length 400 km/250 mi. Its North Fork or main branch rises east of the Caprock Escarpment and runs to the Red River 32 km/20 mi northeast of the city of Wichita Falls.

In its upper reaches, the Wichita River is joined by its Middle and South forks. Below their junction it passes through Lake Kemp (area 67 sq km/26 sq mi) and the smaller Diversion Lake. Named after the native people who once lived along it, the Wichita was unusual in this Plains region in having a waterfall (albeit only 1.5 m/5 ft high), at which Wichita Falls was founded.