| Brazos River Río de los Brazos de Dios | |
|---|---|
 Brazos River downstream ofPossum Kingdom Lake,Palo Pinto County, Texas | |
 Brazos River watershed | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Llano Estacado |
| Source confluence | Stonewall County, Texas |
| • coordinates | 33°16′07″N100°0′37″W / 33.26861°N 100.01028°W /33.26861; -100.01028[1] |
| • elevation | 453 m (1,486 ft) |
| Mouth | Gulf of Mexico |
• location | Brazosport,Brazoria County, Texas |
• coordinates | 28°52′33″N95°22′42″W / 28.87583°N 95.37833°W /28.87583; -95.37833[1] |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 1,352 km (840 mi) |
| Basin size | 116,000 km2 (45,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Freeport, Texas |
| • average | 237.5 m3/s (8,390 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 0.76 m3/s (27 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 2,390 m3/s (84,000 cu ft/s) |
TheBrazos River (/ˈbræzəs/ ⓘBRAZ-əs,Spanish:[ˈbɾazos]), called theRío de los Brazos de Dios (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 14th-longest river in the United States at 1,280 miles (2,060 km) from its headwatersource at the head ofBlackwater Draw,Roosevelt County, New Mexico[2] to itsmouth at theGulf of Mexico with a 45,000-square-mile (116,000 km2)drainage basin.[3] Being one of the largest rivers in Texas,[4] it is sometimes used to mark the boundary betweenEast Texas andWest Texas.
The river is closely associated with Texas history, particularly the Austin settlement andTexas Revolution eras. Today major Texas institutions such asTexas Tech University,Baylor University, andTexas A&M University are located close to the river's basin, as are parts of metropolitan Houston.
The Brazos proper begins at the confluence of theSalt Fork andDouble Mountain Fork, two tributaries of the Upper Brazos that rise on the high plains of theLlano Estacado, flowing 840 miles (1,350 km) southeast through the center of Texas. Another major tributary of the Upper Brazos is theClear Fork Brazos River, which passes byAbilene and joins the main river nearGraham. Important tributaries of the Lower Brazos include thePaluxy River, theBosque River, theLittle River,Yegua Creek, theNolan River, theLeon River, theSan Gabriel River, theLampasas River, and theNavasota River.[5]
Initially running east towardsDallas-Fort Worth, the Brazos turns south, passing throughWaco and the Baylor University campus, further south to nearCalvert, Texas, then pastBryan andCollege Station, then throughRichmond, Texas, inFort Bend County, and empties into theGulf of Mexico in themarshes just south ofFreeport.[3]
The main stem of the Brazos is dammed in three places, all north of Waco, formingPossum Kingdom Lake,Lake Granbury, andLake Whitney. Of these three, Granbury was the last to be completed, in 1969. When its construction was proposed in the mid-1950s,John Graves wrote the bookGoodbye to a River. The Whitney Dam, located on the upper Brazos, provides hydroelectric power, flood control, and irrigation to enable efficient cotton growth in the river valley.[4] A small municipal dam (Lake Brazos Dam) is near the downstream city limit of Waco at the end of the Baylor campus; it raises the level of the river through the city to form a town lake. This impoundment of the Brazos through Waco is locally called Lake Brazos. Nineteen major reservoirs are located along the Brazos.[6]
In 1822, the lower river valley of the Brazos River became one of the major Anglo-American settlement sites in Texas. This was one of the first English-speaking colonies along the Brazos and was founded by Stephen F. Austin at San Felipe de Austin.[4] In 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico atWashington-on-the-Brazos, a settlement in now Washington County that is known as "the birthplace of Texas".[7] Brazos River was also the scene of abattle between theTexas Navy andMexican Navy during theTexas Revolution. Texas Navy shipIndependence was defeated by one Mexican vessel.
When it was first named by European explorers is unclear, since it was often confused with theColorado River not far to the south, but it was certainly seen byRené-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. LaterSpanish accounts call itLos Brazos de Dios (the arms of God), for which name several different explanations were given, all involving it being the first water to be found by desperately thirsty parties. In 1842, Indian commissioner of Texas,Ethan Stroud established a trading post on this river.
The river was important for navigation before and after theAmerican Civil War, and steamboats sailed as far up the river asWashington-on-the-Brazos.[8] While attempts to improve commercial navigation on the river continued, railroads proved more reliable. The Brazos River also flooded, often seriously, on a regular basis before a piecemeal levee system was replaced, notably in 1913 when a massive flood affected the course of the river. The river is primarily important today as a source of water for power, irrigation, and recreation. The water is administered by theBrazos River Authority.[5]
The 2000 book,Sandbars and Sternwheelers: Steam Navigation on the Brazos by Pamela A. Puryear and Nath Winfield, Jr., with introduction byJ. Milton Nance, examines the early vessels that attempted to navigate the Brazos.[9]
On June 2, 2016, therising of the river required evacuations for portions ofBrazoria County.[10]
The Brazos River watershed covers a total area of 46,013 sq mi (119,174 km2).[11] Within the watershed lie 42 lakes and rivers, which have a combined storage capacity of 2.5 million acre-feet.[12] The Brazos watershed also has an estimated groundwater availability of 119,275 acre-feet per year.[13] Around 31% of the land use within the watershed is cropland, and roughly 61% is grassland (30%), shrubland (19.8%), and forest (11%), while urban use only makes up 4.6%. The population density within the watershed is 50.5 people/sq mi (19.5/km2).[11]
The main water-quality issues within the Brazos watershed are high nutrient loads, high bacterial and salinity levels, and low dissolved oxygen. These issues can be attributed to livestock waste, fertilizer, and chemical run offs. Sources of run off are croplands, pastures, and industrial sites, among others.[14] The watershed receiving the most toxic pollution is the lower Brazos river, which received 33.4 million pounds of toxic waste in 2012.[15]
Canoeing is a very popular recreational activity on the Brazos River, with many locations favorable for launching and recovery. The best paddling can be found immediately below Possum Kingdom Lake and Lake Granbury.[16]
Sandbar camping is also permitted, since the entire streambed of the river is considered to be state-owned public property. Fishing, camping, and picnicking are legal here, including on the sandbars.[17] The river and its three lakes are popular spots for avid anglers and boat enthusiasts due to the diverse ecosystems in the water and convenient marinas nearby such asThe Cliffs Marina.
Severalscout camps are located along the Brazos River, and they support a wide range of water and shoreline activities for scouts, youth groups, and family groups.[18]
The Brazos River Authority maintains several public campsites along the river and at the lakes. Hunting is also permitted at select locations along the river. Fishing is permitted on all of the river, subject to regulations. Outdoor enthusiasts have the opportunity to view the area's scenery and the wildlife on the river.[citation needed] Fly fishing and river fishing forlargemouth bass are common.[19]
Municipalities and communities ofStonewall County, Texas,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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