The Leon River is a river in the
U.S. state of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. It has three primary forks - the North, Middle, and South Leon Rivers, which meet near
Eastland
SS ''Eastland'' was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours. On 24 July 1915, the ship rolled over onto its side while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. In total, 844 passengers and crew were killed in what was the largest loss ...
and then run for around until it meets with the
Lampasas River and the Salado Creek to form the
Little River near
Belton.
Tributaries include Pecan Creek and Cowhouse Creek in
Hamilton County, Texas.
Reservoirs
*
Belton Lake
*
Proctor Lake
Proctor Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir along the Leon River located in Comanche County in the U.S. state of Texas, around 3 miles (5 km) west of Proctor, Texas. Proctor Lake Dam and the reservoir are managed by the Fort W ...
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
References
External links
*
*
{{authority control
Rivers of Texas
Brazos River
Rivers of Bell County, Texas
Rivers of Comanche County, Texas
Rivers of Eastland County, Texas