The Neches River () begins in
Van Zandt County
Van Zandt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas, in the northeastern part of the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 59,541. Its county seat is Canton. The county is named for Isaac Van Zandt (1813–1847), a me ...
west of Rhine Lake and flows for through the
piney woods of east
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 ...
, defining the boundaries of 14 counties on its way to its mouth on
Sabine Lake near the
Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs,
Lake Palestine and
B. A. Steinhagen Reservoir are located on the Neches. The
Angelina River
The Angelina River is formed by the junction of Barnhardt and Shawnee creeks northwest of Laneville in southwest central Rusk County, Texas.
The river flows southeast for and forms the boundaries between Cherokee and Nacogdoches, Angelina an ...
(containing
Sam Rayburn Reservoir) is a major tributary with its confluence at the north of Lake B. A. Steinhagen. Tributaries to the south include
Village Creek and
Pine Island Bayou, draining much of the
Big Thicket region, both joining the Neches a few miles north of
Beaumont. Towns and cities located along the river including
Tyler,
Lufkin
Lufkin is the largest city in Angelina County, Texas and the county seat. The city is situated in Deep East Texas and about 60 miles west of the Texas-Louisiana border. Its estimated population is 35,021 as of July 1, 2019.
Lufkin was founded ...
, and
Silsbee, although significant portions of the Neches River are undeveloped and flow through protected natural lands.
[Phillips, Bob, (foreword). 2008. The Roads of Texas. MAPSCO Inc. Addison, Texas. 176 pp. ] In contrast, the lower 40 miles of the river are a major shipping channel, highly industrialized, with a number of cities and towns concentrated in the area including
Beaumont,
Vidor,
Port Neches
Port Neches is a city in Jefferson County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,692 at the 2020 census, up from 13,040 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area.
History
The area known as Port Neche ...
,
Nederland,
Groves, and
Port Arthur.
Etymology
It is believed that the name of the river was derived from the
Caddo word "Nachawi", meaning "wood of the bow", after Spanish settlers called it ''Río Neches''.
Untamed river
With the exception of dams and manmade lakes, much of the river is in a natural state. Approximately 11 miles of the upper Neches flows through the
Neches River National Wildlife Refuge, established to protect the biologically diverse bottomland hardwood forest and habitat for
migratory birds
Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting b ...
, and opened to the public as recently as 2019. Downstream, the river delineates the eastern border of
Davy Crockett National Forest including more than nine miles of the
Big Slough Wilderness Area of the National Forest.
[Fritz, Edward C. (1993) Realms of Beauty: A Guide to the Wilderness Areas of East Texas, revised edition. University of Texas Press, Austin. 120 pp. ] Further downstream the Neches defines much of the southern border of
Angelina National Forest including roughly four miles of the
Upland Island and Longleaf Pine Wilderness Area of Angelina National Forest.
The Angelina Neches/Dam B Wildlife Management Area is situated at the confluence of the Neches and Angelina Rivers protecting 12,636 acres of the river's floodplain and bottomland, administered by the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department along with the adjacent
Martin Dies Jr. State Park on the eastern side of Lake B. A. Steinhagen. South of the Lake, beginning at Town Bluff Dam and running 56 miles south to Beaumont, is the Neches River Corridor Unit of the
Big Thicket National Preserve, administered by the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...
. The Big Thicket National Preserve is recognized as a
biosphere reserve by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
, preserving an area where several
ecosystems converge. The Big Thicket Visitor Center is off
U.S. Highway 69
U.S. Route 69 (US 69) is a major north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus (as well as ...
several miles north of
Kountze, Texas.
Beginning in 2006, the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service purchased land along the Neches River for the creation of the
Neches River National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge includes land on which the city of
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
had proposed to build a
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contr ...
to meet the water needs of the city and its surrounding
suburbs
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separa ...
. Tentatively named Lake Fastrill, this reservoir was not scheduled to be built until 2050. The city of Dallas and the Texas Water Development Board filed a lawsuit in 2007 against the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, claiming the wildlife refuge was established without considering the economic and environmental impacts. However, in February 2010 the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
ruled in favor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, paving the way for the acquisition of lands for the wildlife refuge.
The
Lower Neches Valley Authority is the river authority which oversees the Neches River in
Tyler,
Hardin,
Liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
,
Chambers, and
Jefferson counties of Texas.
Industrialized river
The lower forty miles of the river is industrialized, from the
Beaumont Interstate 10 bridge to Sabine Lake. The river is maintained as a deep water ship channel running between the
Port of Beaumont to
Sabine Lake. Currently 40 feet deep and 400 ft wide, the river is being deepened to 48 feet. The total estimated cost of the
Sabine-Neches Waterway project is $1.1 billion.
Several petro-chemical plants are located in the river's southern section. The Sabine-Neches Navigation District, formed in 1909, has management responsibilities of the portion of the river which is part of the Sabine-Neches Waterway.
Points of interest
*
Lake Palestine
*
Neches River National Wildlife Refuge
*
B. A. Steinhagen Reservoir
*
Big Thicket National Preserve
* The
Port of Beaumont is located on the Neches River at Beaumont, Texas. It begins near the mouth of the river and the
Rainbow Bridge.
See also
*
List of Texas rivers
*
USS ''Neches'' (AO-5) — a
fleet oiler built in 1920.
*
Sabine-Neches Waterway
*
Lower Neches Valley Authority
*
Neches, Texas
*
Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana) Sabine River may refer to:
*Sabine River (Texas–Louisiana)
The Sabine River () is a long riverU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 20, 2011 in the Southern U.S. sta ...
References
External links
*
Fun365Days.com -- regional tourism web sitePartnership of Southeast Texas -- regional economic development siteBig Thicket National PreserveLower Neches Valley AuthorityHistoric photos of Army Corps of Engineers projects on the Neches River from 1910-20sSalt Lick Agreement, March 19, 1835Fro
Texas TidesAngelina & Neches River AuthorityUpper Neches River Municipal Water Authority
{{authority control
Rivers of Texas
Rivers of Van Zandt County, Texas
Rivers of Smith County, Texas
Rivers of Henderson County, Texas
Rivers of Cherokee County, Texas
Rivers of Anderson County, Texas
Rivers of Houston County, Texas
Rivers of Angelina County, Texas
Rivers of Trinity County, Texas
Rivers of Polk County, Texas
Rivers of Jasper County, Texas
Rivers of Tyler County, Texas
Rivers of Hardin County, Texas
Rivers of Orange County, Texas
Rivers of Jefferson County, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Shipping channels