TEXAS RIVERS RIO GRANDE Separates Texas and Mexico

TEXAS RIVERS

RIO GRANDE § § § Separates Texas and Mexico 2 nd longest river in the United States Its headwaters (beginning) is in Colorado

PECOS RIVER § Tributary to the Rio Grande § Separates the Mountain Basin Region from Great Plains

NUECES RIVER § Runs between Rio Grande and Frio River

FRIO RIVER § Named for its unusually cool temperatures § Popular destination during summer (camping/swimming, State Parks)

SAN ANTONIO RIVER § § § Spring fed river Located in San Antonio River Walk

GUADALUPE RIVER § Spring fed river that originates in the Texas Hill Country § Popular for canoeing, tubing and swimming

COLORADO RIVER § Many man-made lakes (Lake Travis, Lake LBJ, Lake Buchanan, popular for recreational activities) § Runs through the capital Austin § Has many large tributaries (Concho, San Saba, Llano)

BRAZOS RIVER § Largest river between Rio Grande and Red River § Spanish for “embrace” or “Arms of God”

Legend of How the Brazos got its name § A Mexican couple was traveling in Tejas in search for a place to camp at a river, as they heard Comanche behind them. They beat the Indians to the river, but were afraid to cross, because it was swollen by the spring rains. The man decided it was still better to plunge into the waters, than to face the Comanche and so they did. The swirling waters carried them downstream and the Indians did not cross the river. The man comforted his wife by saying that “We are in the arms of God”. After a night of rain the river was in such a state that the Indians turned back and the river came to be called “El Rio de los Brazos de Dios” which means “The River in the arms of God”. It was later shortened to Brazos.

TRINITY RIVER § Begins in Dallas § Lake Livingston and its dam are built on it

NECHES RIVER § Located in East Texas § Named after the Neches Indians

SABINE RIVER § Eastern boundary between Texas and Louisiana

RED RIVER § Boundary between Texas and Oklahoma § A menace to travelers because of quicksand strong currents, often with disastrous results (loss of life or property)

CANADIAN RIVER § § § Northern most river in Texas Crosses the Texas Panhandle Early explorers mistakenly called it the Canadian, because they thought it led to Canada

Houston Brownsville San Antonio Dallas Austin Wichita Falls Corpus Christi