San Jacinto West Fork
The
West Fork of the San Jacinto River rises seventeen miles west of
Huntsville in western Walker County (at 30°39' N, 95°51' W) and flows
southeast ninety miles through Montgomery County to its confluence with
the East Fork of the San Jacinto River on the northern rim of Lake
Houston in northeastern Harris County (at 30°02' N, 95°09' W). The river
was dammed in the early 1970s to form fifteen-mile-long Lake Conroe
(Honea Reservoir) in Montgomery County. Gathering more than 400,000
acre-feet of runoff annually, the West Fork of the San Jacinto is more
than twice as large as the East Fork; including the San Jacinto River
proper and both branches, the entire system's drainage area comprises
4,000 square miles. Gently sloping to nearly level terrain is surfaced
by loam and clay which support patches of loblolly pine-sweetgum,
loblolly pine-shortleaf pine, water oak-elm, pecan-elm, and willow
oak-blackgum woods on the banks of the river. The creek's middle course
flows through western Sam Houston National Forest.
Principal tributaries include Neely Spring Branch, McGary Creek, West
Sandy Creek, Robinson Creek, McDonald Creek, East Sandy Creek, Little
Caney Creek, Lake Creek, Little Lake Creek, Spring Creek, and Cypress
Creek. The narrowness of the channel and the limited volume of water in
the upper course of the river restrict its recreational uses, despite
its generally high water quality and the scenic character of the
countryside it drains. Below Lake Conroe Dam, however, there is normally
a sufficient flow to permit rafting and canoeing. Moreover, Lake Conroe
itself, a 21,000-acre municipal reservoir only twenty-seven miles from
Houston, has become one of the most important recreational areas in
southeastern Texas. TSHA
Texas State Historical Association
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/west-fork-of-the-san-jacinto-river
Atlas: Texas Historical Association
https://atlas.thc.texas.gov/Details/5339007898