{{Short description|River in the United States}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox river | name = Caney River | native_name ={{native name|unm|Kènii Sipu}} | name_other = Little Verdigris, Cana, Connie | name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP --> | image = Caney River.jpg | image_caption = | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= <!---------------------- LOCATION --> | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Kansas, Oklahoma | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = City | subdivision_name5 = Bartlesville, OK <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | length_mi = 180 | length_ref = , South<ref name=NHD/> | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location=Ramona | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg ={{convert|1701|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ok/nwis/annual/?format=sites_selection_links&search_site_no=07175500&agency_cd=USGS&amp;referred_module=sw|title = USGS Surface Water data for Oklahoma: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics}}</ref> | discharge1_max = <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES --> | source1 = | source1_location = Elk County, Kansas, United States | source1_coordinates= {{coord|37|29|14|N|096|28|34|W|type:river_region:US-KS|display=inline}}<ref name="GNIS">{{cite gnis|id=1090928|name=Caney River|entrydate=1978-12-18|accessdate=2013-08-17}}</ref> | source1_elevation = {{convert|1145|ft|abbr=on}} | mouth = Verdigris River | mouth_location = Near Verdigris, Oklahoma, United States | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|36|20|16|N|095|41|57|W|type:river_region:US-OK|display=inline,title}}<ref name="GNIS"/> | mouth_elevation = {{convert|167|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="GNIS"/> | progression = | river_system = Verdigris River | basin_size = | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = }}

The '''Caney River''' (Lenape: Kènii Sipu <ref>{{Cite web |title = Lenape Talking Dictionary |accessdate = 2012-05-27 |url = http://www.talk-lenape.org/detail.php?id=2194 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141209194622/http://www.talk-lenape.org/detail.php?id=2194 |archive-date = 2014-12-09 |url-status = dead }}</ref>) is a {{convert|180|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}}<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |date=2012-03-29 }}, accessed May 31, 2011</ref> river in southern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma. The river is a tributary of the Verdigris River, and is usually a flatwater stream.

The Caney forms just north of the town of Grenola in Elk County, Kansas, then moves south into Oklahoma near Elgin, Kansas. It then flows south through Osage County, where it is dammed near Bowring to form Hulah Lake. Downstream of the Hulah dam, the river flows into Washington County through the center of Bartlesville, where it separates the city's downtown from its residential east side. Just south of Bartlesville, the river turns southeast and flows into Rogers County, where it joins the Verdigris River between Collinsville and Claremore.<ref name="SWPaddlers">McCord, Mark W. Southwest Paddlers, "Caney River." Retrieved May 21, 2013.[http://southwestpaddler.com/docs/arkansasok5.html]</ref>

The river is normally flat water, except when there are heavy rainstorms within the drainage area. It is popular for canoeing, both above and below Hulah Lake. However, there are almost no facilities for boaters between Wah-Sha-She State Park (near Hulah Dam) and the confluence with the Verdigris River.<ref name="SWPaddlers"/> The river does feature Osro Falls, an old covered wagon crossing point near Hewins, Kansas.<ref name=Falls>{{cite web|url= https://www.kansas.com/sports/outdoors/article109551292.html |title=4 Waterfalls a short drive from Wichita|publisher=Wichita Eagle, October 20, 2016|accessdate=April 29, 2025}}</ref> The waterfall only measures about 3 feet in height, but extends nearly 200 feet across the river.<ref name=Falls/>

The river caused disastrous floods in the Bartlesville area in 1885, 1926 and 1986.<ref name="BartHistory">"History of Bartlesville and Washington County, Oklahoma: Caney River." Retrieved April 27, 2012.{{cite web |url=http://myweb.cableone.net/gmeador/ccaneyr.htm |title=Bartlesville Area History: Caney River |accessdate=2012-04-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415020209/http://myweb.cableone.net/gmeador/ccaneyr.htm |archivedate=2012-04-15 }}</ref>

The dam at Hulah Lake is operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. In October 1986 the Corps was forced to open floodgates at the dam due to above-average rainfall in the Great Plains.<ref>[http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/Archives/1986sum.htm 1986 Global Register of Extreme Flood Events - DFO#1986-038] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013073745/http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/Archives/1986sum.htm |date=2012-10-13 }}. Dartmouth Flood Observatory. Retrieved on 2007-05-25.</ref> The resulting 500-year flood split Bartlesville virtually in half for several days and caused more than US$30 million in property damage.<ref>Trammell, Karen.[http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/newsletter/autumn2003/#wxhistory In Weather History: The Floods of September and October 1986]. ''The Southern Plains Cyclone''. National Weather Service, Autumn 2003. Retrieved on 2007-05-25.</ref><ref>Associated Press. [https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/07/us/around-the-nation-middle-western-floods-threaten-new-areas.html "Middle Western Floods Threaten New Areas"], ''The New York Times'', 1986-10-07. Retrieved on 2007-05-25.</ref>

==See also== * Caney, Kansas * List of Kansas rivers * List of Oklahoma rivers

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=07175500 US Geological Survey Real-time Water Data for Caney River] near Ramona, Oklahoma * [https://web.archive.org/web/20121024013411/http://www.library.okstate.edu/okmaps/ Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory]

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Category:Rivers of Oklahoma Category:Rivers of Kansas Category:Tributaries of the Arkansas River Category:Rivers of Chautauqua County, Kansas Category:Rivers of Elk County, Kansas Category:Rivers of Rogers County, Oklahoma Category:Rivers of Washington County, Oklahoma