The Leon River is a river in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. It has three primary forks - the North, Middle, and South Leon Rivers, which meet near
Eastland and then run for around until it meets with the
Lampasas River
The Lampasas River ( ) is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. The river originates near the city of Hamilton and travels southeast for 75 miles through central Texas to a man-made reservoir called Stillhouse Hollow Lake. The river flows about 100 ...
and the Salado Creek to form the
Little River
Little River may refer to several places:
Australia Streams New South Wales
*Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River
* Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...
near
Belton.
Tributaries include Pecan Creek and Cowhouse Creek in
Hamilton County, Texas
Hamilton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 8,222. The county seat is Hamilton. The county was created in 1858. It is named for James Hamilton Jr., a former ...
.
Reservoirs
*
Belton Lake
Belton Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Leon River in the Brazos River basin, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Belton, Texas, United States. The lake extends into both Bell County and Coryell County. Belton Dam and the ...
*
Proctor Lake
Construction of Belton Dam on the Leon River began in 1947 and was completed in 1954. Belton Lake took less than two years to fill up and nearly overflowed in 1957. In October 1993, th
Miller Springs Nature Centerwas constructed along the Leon River just downstream of Belton Dam.
Parks and nature centers
Miller Springs Nature Centeris located on both banks of the Leon River just downstream of Belton Dam. It consists of nearly 11 miles of trails winding among canyon, upland, prairie, and riparian habitats. The hiking and biking trails in the nature center are enjoyed by hikers, bikers, joggers, birders and all kinds of nature enthusiasts. Good access to the Leon River is also available for canoers and kayakers. It is currently operated by the nonprofit Miller Springs Alliance, an organization made up entirely of volunteers. It is accessible from the Belton side of Belton Dam via the Park Road off Highway FM 439 (Lake Road), and from the Temple side via the Nature Center entrance, off Highway FM 2271 at the north end of Belton Dam.
See also
*
List of rivers of Texas
The list of rivers of Texas is a list of all named waterways, including rivers and streams that partially pass through or are entirely located within the U.S. state of Texas. Across the state, there are 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers acc ...
References
External links
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Rivers of Texas
Brazos River
Rivers of Bell County, Texas
Rivers of Comanche County, Texas
Rivers of Eastland County, Texas