Burnet County waters flow to the Gulf of Mexico

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  • The Lampasas River, which runs through northeastern Burnet County, originates in western Hamilton County. After passing through Burnet County, the river flows into Bell County and is dammed to form Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Fran Jones/Burnet Bulletin
    The Lampasas River, which runs through northeastern Burnet County, originates in western Hamilton County. After passing through Burnet County, the river flows into Bell County and is dammed to form Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Fran Jones/Burnet Bulletin
  • Fran Jones
    Fran Jones
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From Burnet County to the Gulf of Mexico

The Brazos River empties into the Gulf of Mexico near the town of Freeport. What does that have to do with Burnet County? Actually the rivers that drain Burnet County are part of the Brazos River Drainage Basin.

The rivers that are located in the north and northeast of Burnet County are the ones that are most familiar to the communities of Oakalla, Briggs and Joppa. These are the North Fork and Russell Fork of the San Gabriel, and the Lampasas.

The San Gabriel Rivers originate in Burnet County. However, the Lampasas originates in western Hamilton County and flows through the very northeastern part of Burnet County.

Upon leaving Burnet County, the Lampasas flows into Bell County and is dammed to form Stillhouse Hollow Lake five miles southwest of Belton. After that it continues on to join the Leon River and they form the Little River four miles southeast of Belton.

The North Fork of The San Gabriel is joined by the Russell Fork and eventually the Middle Fork and South Fork flowing through Williamson County to Georgetown where it becomes The San Gabriel. There are two dams on the San Gabriel, one forming Lake Georgetown and the other Grainger Lake in Williamson County.

After traveling several miles through Williamson County, the San Gabriel joins the Little River about eight miles north of Rockdale and five miles southwest of Cameron in Milam County.

At this point, the waters from Burnet County rivers are part of the Little River. And one of the seven principal tributaries of the Brazos is the Little River. And the Brazos flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

There may be some scientific way of finding minerals or sediment in the Gulf that came from Burnet County. However, we can know that waters from Burnet County do eventually flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

Briggs Community Center

President Crystal Kinsey said that the community center meeting of July 13 is cancelled. The Chad Wessels Playground adjacent to the community center will be closed for the week for rennovations. They are getting a new shade cloth and some new edging. They hope to re-open by Saturday, July 11.

Oakalla Library Farmers Market

The Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 11. The Library is located at 28981 FM 963 in Oakalla. For information you may contact Tricia Pratt at 512-525-3864.

If you have news or photos please contact me at pajfkj@yahoo.com by Saturday, July 11.