How Long Is the Brazos River From Start to End?

The Brazos River is the third longest river in Texas and flows almost entirely in the state. Early Spanish explorers called this river “Río de los Brazos de Dios,” which means “the River of the Arms of God.” It is an appropriate name considering the size and beauty of the Brazos River. The river’s watershed stretches from New Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico and encompasses 45,510 square miles. And the length of the Brazos River from start to end is also quite impressive!

Where Is the Brazos River Located?

The headwater source of the Brazos River is at the head of Blackwater Draw, a stream channel that is located in Roosevelt County, New Mexico. However, the Brazos proper begins at the merging of the Salt Fork and Double Mountain Fork near Aspermont in Stonewall County.

The third fork of the Brazos River, the Clear Fork, connects to the river just above Possum Kingdom Lake in Young County. Finally, the Brazos River enters the Gulf of Mexico two miles south of the city of Freeport in Brazoria County.

How Long Is the Brazos River From Start to End?

The Brazos River is the 14^th longest river in the United States, with the Missouri River being number one at 2,341 miles in length. Measuring from the Brazos River’s main fork, it is 840 miles long from start to end. However, if measuring from its headwater source to where the Brazos River empties into the Gulf of Mexico, the Brazos River is 1,280 miles long.

How Wide Is the River?

On average, the Brazos River ranges from 200 to 300 feet wide. Some points are no more than 100 feet wide, while the biggest span, two miles west of Cawthron, Texas, is about 1,000 feet across.

What Are the Main Tributaries of the Brazos River?

A tributary is a freshwater stream that feeds into a larger river or body of water. The larger river, also called the mainstem, is usually fed by multiple tributaries. In the case of the Brazos River, there are seven principal tributaries along with 15 sub-tributaries. The seven main ones are:

1. Salt Fork: This tributary begins in Crosby County and flows southeast to join with the Double Mountain Fork into the Brazos River. It runs 150 miles in length.

2. Double Mountain Fork: Beginning in Llano Estacado in Lynn County, the Double Mountain Fork flows east before turning north and westward into Stonewall County, where the Double Mountain Fork merges with the Salt Fork into the Brazos River. Double Mountain Fork is 174 miles in length.

3. Clear Fork: As the longest tributary of the Brazos River, the Clear Fork runs about 180 miles long. It originates in Scurry County and runs until its confluence (the location where a tributary meets the mainstem) 7.8 miles south-southeast of Graham, Texas.

4. Bosque River: This tributary begins in central Texas by Stephenville and empties into the Brazos River near Waco. The Bosque River is 115 miles long.

5. Yegua Creek: Originating in central Texas in Lee County, Yegua Creek joins the Brazos River in southeastern Washington County. It runs for 31 miles before merging into the Brazos River.

6. Little River: Little River begins at the confluence of the Leon River and Lampasas River near the city of Little River. It travels southeast until it flows into the Brazos River, about five miles southwest of Hearne. Little River is about 75 miles long.

7. Navasota River: It starts near Mount Calm and winds south for 125 miles into the Brazos River.

What Dams Are On the Brazos River?

There are three main dams along the mainstem of the Brazos River and 11 major reservoirs, all projects of the Brazos River Authority (BRA) or United States Army Corps of Engineers. Texas Legislature created the BRA in 1929 to develop and manage water resources of the entire river basin. It was the first State agency in the United States ever to be created for that purpose.

The first dam along the Brazos River is the Morris Sheppard Dam, which impounds Possum Kingdom Lake. It is located in Palo Pinto County, and though it was originally built with a hydroelectric generating facility, the turbine generators were decommissioned in 2014.

The second dam is located in Hood County and impounds Lake Granbury. DeCordova Bend Dam was built to store water for municipalities, industries, agriculture, and mining needs.

The third dam that impedes the Brazos River is the Whitney Dam, which forms Whitney Lake. Located about 5.5 miles southwest of the city of Whitney, this dam and powerhouse were created by the United States Army Corps of Engineers for flood control and energy production.

About the Brazos River Watershed

The Brazos River watershed encompasses 42 rivers and lakes. In total, all of these bodies of water hold about 2.5 million acre-feet of water. The watershed stretches over 45,510 square miles of land.

Brazos River Vs. Rio Grande

The Rio Grande is the longest river in Texas at 1,896 miles long, whereas the Brazos River ranks third longest at 840 miles. About 1,250 of the 1,896 miles of the Rio Grande are within Texas, although it straddles the border between Texas and Mexico.

Counting the headwater source, the Brazos River is 1,280 miles long, with 840 miles of it completely in Texas.

Brazos River Vs. Red River Of The South

The Red River of the South is 1,360 miles long, though only 680 miles of it runs through Texas. That means the Brazos River has a longer stretch that runs through Texas than the Red River. In fact, the Brazos River has 160 more miles than the Red River flowing through the state of Texas. However, the Red River is the second-largest river basin in the southern Great Plains.

Brazos River Vs. Colorado River

The Colorado River is 862 miles in length, running almost entirely in the state of Texas. Depending on whether the length of the Brazos is taken from the starting headwater source (1,280 miles) or the confluence of the Salt and Double Mountain Fork (840 miles), the Brazos River could be considered longer than the Colorado River. But the Colorado River is the longest river, with its source and mouth located completely in Texas.

Animals By the Brazos River

The Brazos River is a welcoming habitat for a variety of animals. Because the river stretches over 1,200 miles of diverse landscape, it is home to many migratory birds, aquatic fauna, and large and small mammals. Here are some of the animals you may find by the shore and in the waters of the Brazos River.

Fish

• Alligator gar
• Blue catfish
• Flathead catfish
• Largemouth bass
• Sunfish

Reptiles

• American alligator
• Banded water snake
• Brazos water snake
• Western chicken turtle
• Western diamondback rattlesnake

Birds

• Barred Owls
• Many species of heron
• Prothonotary warblers
• Mississippi kite
• Red-tailed hawk

Mammals

• Bobcats
• Feral pigs
• Gray fox
• Nutria
• White-tailed deer

The photo featured at the top of this post is © davisdeatonphotography/Shutterstock.com