Blanco River (Texas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blanco River |
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Location of the Blanco River in central Texas
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| Other name(s) | Río Blanco |
| Country | U.S. |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Kendall County, Texas, U.S. 1,607 feet (490 m) |
| River mouth | San Marcos River, Hays County, Texas, U.S. |
| Length | 87 miles (140 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 412 square miles (1,067 km2) |
The Blanco River is a beautiful river located in the Texas Hill Country in the United States. It's a popular spot for outdoor activities and plays an important role in the local environment.
Contents
The River's Journey
The Blanco River starts from several springs in northern Kendall County, Texas. From there, it flows mostly towards the east for about 87 miles (140 km). It travels through Kendall County, Blanco County, Texas, and Hays County, Texas.
Near the city of San Marcos, Texas, the river turns south. It then joins with the San Marcos River.
River Depth and Flow
The Blanco River is usually quite shallow. In some parts of the Hill Country, it even goes underground for a short distance.
Like many rivers in the Texas Hill Country, the Blanco River's water level can change a lot. On average, about 93 cubic feet (3 cubic meters) of water flow through it each second. However, if there are heavy rains in the area around the river, it can cause very fast and sudden floods, called flash floods. These floods can happen with little warning.
Big Floods in 2015
The Blanco River has seen some very big floods. In 1998, for example, the river's flow during a flood reached 2,970 cubic meters per second. This happened in an area covering 1,067 square kilometers.
May 2015 Flood
On May 24, 2015, the Blanco River experienced a huge flood. This was part of the larger 2015 Texas–Oklahoma floods. Near Wimberley, Texas, the river rose more than 30 feet (9 meters) in less than three hours! It reached a new record height of over 40 feet (12 meters). The water was so high that it broke the measuring device.
Heavy rainfall, between 10 and 13 inches (25 to 33 cm), fell upstream in southern Blanco County. All this water rushed into the Blanco River and the Little Blanco River. The Fischer Store Road bridge over the Blanco River, west of Wimberley, was completely destroyed by the floodwaters.
The river at Wimberley reached a record crest. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) later estimated the highest point of the flood was 44.9 feet (13.7 meters). This was more than 10 feet (3 meters) higher than the previous record from 1929, which was 33.3 feet (10.1 meters).
Many homes along the Blanco River, from the City of Blanco through Wimberley and down to San Marcos, were hit by this historic flood. Many houses were completely destroyed and swept away by the strong currents. Large pieces of debris, including huge cypress trees that usually grew along the riverbanks, crashed into homes. Sadly, ten people lost their lives during this event. The river rose more than 20 feet (6 meters) in just one hour. The estimated cost of insured damage was around $100 million. In Hays County, which includes Wimberley and San Marcos, 321 homes were destroyed, and hundreds more were badly damaged.
Downstream from Wimberley, at Kyle, Texas, the river also flooded. On May 24, it reached 36.52 feet (11.13 meters). At that time, this was the highest the river had been there since 1929.
October 2015 Flood
The Blanco River flooded again on October 30, 2015. At Kyle, Texas, the river crested at 37.24 feet (11.35 meters). This was even higher than the May 24 flood at Kyle, making it the highest since 1929. However, the Wimberley gauge only showed a crest of 26.54 feet (8.09 meters) on this date. The flooding near San Marcos caused the Interstate 35 bridge over the Blanco River to close for the second time in 2015.
River Geography
The upper parts of the Blanco River flow through hilly areas. Here, the river's slopes are often very steep. As the river gets closer to the Balcones Fault near San Marcos, it becomes wider and the slopes become less steep. This change is common for rivers in the central part of Texas.
What the River Provides
The Blanco River is very important to the local community. It provides drinking water for the city of Blanco, Texas. It also supplies water for nearby ranches.
The river is also a great place for fun activities. Several recreational areas are located along its banks, including:
- The Blanco State Recreation Area in Blanco
- The Boy Scouts camp El Rancho Cima near Wimberley
- Other private parks and resorts
