Rainy Mountain facts for kids

Rainy Mountain is a rounded hill located in Kiowa County, Oklahoma. It stands a bit apart from the main Wichita Mountains. For the Plains Indians, this hill was a very important landmark on the southern plains. It helped them find their way and know where they were.

What is Rainy Mountain?

Rainy Mountain is a natural hill that looks rounded. It's found in the state of Oklahoma, specifically in Kiowa County. This hill was easy to spot and stood out from the other mountains nearby.

A Special Place for Native Americans

For many years, Rainy Mountain was a significant place for the Plains Indians. These groups of Native Americans lived on the wide, flat lands of the central United States. The mountain helped them navigate and served as a well-known spot in their travels.

Rainy Mountain Creek and Its Importance

A stream called Rainy Mountain Creek flows from the hill towards the northeast. This creek was a very popular place for the Plains Indians to set up their winter camps.

Why the Creek Was Important

The main reason the creek was so special was because its grass stayed green, even during the cold winter months. This meant there was food for their horses and other animals. The Kiowa people, a well-known Plains Indian tribe, especially liked to camp here.

Dealing with Floods

Rainy Mountain Creek was the main waterway in its area, called the Rainy Mountain Creek Watershed. However, this creek often had big floods every year. Between 1926 and 1945, there were many floods, some very large and some smaller.

To help stop these floods, a big project was started in 1960. Local groups like the Kiowa County, Washita County, and Mountain View Conservation Districts worked with the Soil Conservation Service. They built 29 dams to control the water. This project was called the Rainy Mountain Creek Watershed Project. These dams helped protect the land and people from the powerful floods.