Brazos River Question

[AggiePSD]

I've been trying to figure this out for a while now. I'm doing some work down on the coast southeast of Liverpool, TX right on Chocolate Bayou (Texas A&M land). I've always been fascinated with the Brazos River and it's watershed, all the way from New Mexico to the Gulf. I know that the Brazos and Colorado Rivers flooded together in 1913 massively which changed the course of the Brazos near Rosharon, TX.

I've been trying to find what the route of the Brazos was before this flood. Currently the Brazos hits the Gulf at Freeport. Did it always come out at Freeport and just change course inland near Rosharon in the 1913 flood? Or did it come out somewhere else before 1913, like flowing down the now Chocolate Bayou and into Lost and Chocolate Bays?

I really like history of rivers, soils, etc., so I've been trying to figure this out for a while just by observation but haven't been sucessful yet.

Thanks,

[Texrob1]

You may have already seen these,but I know I learned something about the Brazos River by reading them. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/...s/BB/rnb7.html This second link says the river changed course after the 1913 Flood,but it does not say where the river used to Enter the Gulf of Mexico before. http://www.brazos.org/brazosHistory.asp

[short_stuff]

If you find yourself back at College Station, go by the A&M library and look in the Topography and Geography section. There should be some reference material that would show the outlet of the Brazos River prior to 1913. My sister did one of her degrees on Civil engineering, and it required doing topography researching around the Livingston area going back 100 years. It was amazing what material was available.
Or you might pop in to the Brazoria County courthouse in Angleton, at the Tax Assessor division and see if they have any reference materials that would cover the Brazos watershed pre-1913 for Brazoria county.
I 'think' the outlet stayed the same (from some old Texas history material from my Jr. High days), just the watershed leading to the outlet widened and changed course. just my .02 cents worth.

short_stuff

[AggiePSD]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: short_stuff</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I 'think' the outlet stayed the same (from some old Texas history material from my Jr. High days), just the watershed leading to the outlet widened and changed course. just my .02 cents worth.

short_stuff </div></div>

I think you're right. I was looking on Google Earth to the northeast of the Brazos around Rosharon and Oyster Creek looks like it has quite a few old river oxbows incorporated into it...

I'll have to look in the library sometime. I never think of the library of having this type of information, even though I know they do.

Thank for the help,

[holstein05]

Howdy,
I know nothing about your question. Rather, I just wanted ya'll to know that I am from Texas (Fort Worth Area) and have now moved to Misery. I am very jealous of your location. Always wanted to live in the Austin/San Antonio area.

Good luck on your research. I've never floated the Brazos or the Guadelupe(sp) but know many, many people who have...

[short_stuff]

Hey, Holstein, sorry you're in the state of Misery and not back in the great state of Texas. My daughter and s-i-l moved from Dallas up to KC, Kansas at the start of the summer, and have decided to make a home up there. One of my sisters got married in St. Louis and is raising her family in Balwin, Mo. My parents were both from Missouri, and got down here many, many, moons ago, and I decided if I'm Texas born, then I need to stay in Texas. In fact, the farthest I've lived from Houston was at my lake house at Lake Livingston for a couple of years. ;-) When you're socked in with ice and snow, just remember the warmer times in Fort Worth. My wife moved down from Iowa back in the 80's, and I offered to move back up there so she could take over her dad's business, but she declined the offer. She said 'Hell no, that's why I married me a Texan, was so I could stay down in the south.' Gotta love those corn huskers.

short_stuff

[Seafarer12]

I always liked Misery but then again I never lived there. I always like the hills and green.

[JIM_C]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: holstein05</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I've never floated the Brazos or the Guadelupe(sp) but know many, many people who have... </div></div>

Wow, that brings back memories. Float the Guadalupe, take a cooler of beer. Float the Brazos, leave the beer in the car and take your .22 for the snakes and gar! Yikes!

[dcbowe]

The Brazos river was rerouted by the Corps of Engineers way back. It use to dump into the gulf at surfside harbor that is now the port of Freeport. It now dumbs into the gulf at Brian Beach next to the BMSPP (secrete government petroleum storage).
I don't know any information about inland rerouting from 1913 storm. I drive over the Brazos river 2 times a day back and forth to work, the above knowledge I know, but I don't have any dates to put with it. We call it the old Brazos and the new Brazos when talking about which river.

[dcbowe]

Hey Aggiepsd I just reread your post and noticed that we are almost work neighbors. I working down the road at Solutia old monsanto plant on Chocolate Bayou towards 2004. You working at the rice place, sand hill cranes land on that property all the time and they go good with rice He maybe we can meet for lunch one day.

[AggiePSD]

Actually I'm work for the Extension Service for Texas A&M. I'm doing some work on property located on county road 203. The property is on both sides of the county road and also butts up against Choc. Bayou. All of the land on the southwest side of the bayou from almost FM 2004 to the end of the channel in the bayou (looks to me that it ends at the Solutia plant) is actually A&M owned property that they aquired years ago from Texaco I believe.

How far upstream did the Corps reroute the river? I'll have to check out my satellite maps to look at that one. Gotta go for now but we should meet up sometime.