White Rock Creek facts for kids
White Rock Creek is a stream about 30 miles (48 kilometers) long. It flows through Collin County, Texas and Dallas County, Texas in Texas. This creek is an important part of the Trinity River system. It starts near Frisco, Texas and flows south through the Dallas area. Along its way, it widens into White Rock Lake, a large lake in Dallas. After the lake, the creek continues south until it joins the Trinity River.
Even though White Rock Creek flows through a very busy part of Texas, many of its banks are still covered with trees and natural areas. You can find many local parks along its path. The area around the creek, called its watershed, usually stretches about 2 to 2.5 miles (3.2 to 4 kilometers) on each side.
There are several "White Rock Creeks" in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex area. This article is about the one that flows into White Rock Lake.
Contents
The Creek's Journey
The creek starts as a small stream that sometimes dries up in its upper parts. It flows south, generally running between the Dallas North Tollway and Preston Road. It crosses under State Highway 121 and later under Preston Road near Hedgcoxe Road in Plano.
As it flows south through Plano, the creek gets a bit wider. It passes through areas like the Gleneagles Country Club and several parks. It continues its path, crossing under major roads like West Park Boulevard (State Highway 544) and the President George Bush Turnpike. After this, it enters the city of Dallas.
In Dallas, the creek flows past the Preston Trail Golf Course and through the Prestonwood Country Club. Here, another small stream called McKamy Brook joins it. The creek then crosses Arapaho Road and Belt Line Road.
After crossing Belt Line Road, the creek turns east for a short time before going back to its south-easterly direction. It flows under Interstate 635 and then U.S. Highway 75 (North Central Expressway). From Belt Line Road all the way to White Rock Lake, the area along the creek is a park. It's a popular place for people in Dallas to bike and run.
Further south, Johnson Creek joins White Rock Creek. The creek then flows through more city areas, crossing under Greenville Avenue and Walnut Hill Lane. Cottonwood Creek also joins it. Soon after, White Rock Creek flows into White Rock Lake. This lake is man-made and is no more than 20 feet (6 meters) deep. It provides water for the city of Dallas. After leaving White Rock Lake, the creek flows south past Interstate 30 and U.S. Highway 175 before finally joining the Trinity River.
Nature and Environment
The creek and the lake get their name from the white chalk that lines their beds and banks. This chalk is called Austin Chalk. In some places, you can see this white rock clearly where the creek has cut deep into the ground, forming canyon-like walls.
White Rock Creek is part of the Texas Blackland Prairies and Bottomland Forest areas. It is home to many different kinds of plants and animals.
Animals of White Rock Creek
You can find many animals living around the creek. Some mammals include river otters, mink, bobcats, coyotes, red fox, raccoons, skunks, opossum, gray squirrels, mice, rats, and eastern cottontails (rabbits). In muddy areas, crayfish build their volcano-shaped homes.
Many birds live near or visit the creek and lake. These include great blue herons, great egrets, and belted kingfishers. You might also see double-crested cormorants, American white pelicans, and American coots on the lake.
Reptiles and amphibians found here include lizards, water moccasins, salamanders, red-eared sliders (turtles), and common snapping turtles. The most common fish in the creek are sunfish, largemouth bass, white crappie, and channel catfish.
Plants of White Rock Creek
The most common trees along the creek are cedar elm, pecan, and green ash. In drier spots, you'll find different kinds of small plants called forbs. Where the banks are lower and flood often, you'll see trees that like wet conditions. These include cottonwood, black willow, American elm, sycamore, hackberry, chinquapin oak, and Texas buckeye.
Trees that produce berries along the creek include yaupon holly, cherry laurel, fruiting mulberry, rusty blackhaw, and American sweetgum.
Environmental Concerns
In June 2018, there was an incident where a large amount of wastewater accidentally flowed into the creek. This happened during construction work in Plano, Texas, when a pipe was damaged. Experts are still studying the long-term effects this event might have had on the plants and animals in the creek's ecosystem.
