The following descriptions of creeks and rivers comes from the Handbook of Texas Online, where you can find information about the sources used to write these descriptions. They are included here to help you locate vicinities described in old documents and to give you the historical significance of the various creek names. Note that, in some cases, several creeks share the same name. The TXDOT Interactive County Highway Map shows creeks and rivers.
BIG BRUSHY CREEK. Big Brushy Creek rises 5 1/2 miles northwest of Yoakum in far western Lavaca County (at 29°21' N, 97°12' W) and flows southeast, entering DeWitt County and skirting Yoakum on the west and south, then reentering Lavaca County and continuing for 30 1/2 total miles to its mouth on Clarks Creek, 2 1/2 miles northeast of the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and State Highway 111 (at 29°11' N, 96°56' W). The stream passes the Yoakum sewage-disposal plant and the South Yoakum and Brushy Creek oil and gas fields, then flows through poorly drained sandy upland prairie used primarily as rangeland for cattle. Across this generally rolling terrain, vegetation consists of a fairly dense cover of scrub oak and mesquite that provides excellent habitat for wildlife.
BOGGY CREEK. Boggy Creek begins in northwestern Lavaca County (at 29°27' N, 97°03' W) and flows south through Wied before emptying into Rocky Creek (at 29°24' N, 97°03' W). It descends 162 feet over its three-mile length. The neighboring flat to rolling terrain is marked by local escarpments, a surface of fine sandy loams, and a flora that features post oak forests and grasses.
BOGGY CREEK. Boggy Creek rises six miles southwest of Moulton in far eastern Gonzales County (at 29°30' N, 97°14' W) and flows southeast for 9 1/2 miles to its mouth on Rocky Creek, a half mile southeast of Shiner in Lavaca County (at 29°25' N, 97°09' W). At Green-Dickson Park, just north of Shiner, the stream is dammed to form Green-Dickson Lake. Two miles downstream from the lake the stream flows past the historic Shiner Brewery. Soils along the stream are well-drained upland loamy clays. The land is generally open prairie used for pasture and the cultivation of corn and grain sorghum.
BOGGY CREEK. Boggy Creek begins in a tank in southwestern Lavaca County (at 29°09' N, 96°56' W) and runs west 4° miles before emptying into Chicolete Creek (at 29°09' N, 96°57' W). It has one named tributary, Andrews Branch. Boggy Creek crosses flat to rolling terrain with local escarpments, a fine sandy loam surface, and vegetation consisting of post oak woods and grasses.
BRUSHY CREEK. Brushy Creek rises three miles northeast of Hallettsville in north central Lavaca County (at 29°29' N, 96°54' W) and flows southeast for eleven miles to its mouth on the Navidad River, 2° miles south of Sublime (at 29°'25 N, 96°'48 W). It crosses gently rolling terrain with a clay loam surface over a dense clay subsoil. Brushy Creek is prone to flood, but the runoff is rapid. Areas surrounding the stream are mixed open and forested and are used primarily as range and pasture land, with some production of corn and grain sorghum. Wildlife is abundant in the wooded areas, where a mixture of oak, sycamore, pecan, yaupon, and wild grape provide wildlife habitat.
CAMPBELL BRANCH. Campbell Branch rises at the confluence of its east and west branches, on the northwestern outskirts of Hallettsville in north central Lavaca County (at 29°28' N, 96°57' W), and runs a mile to its mouth on the Lavaca River, just west of Hallettsville (at 29°27' N, 96°57' W). East Campbell Branch rises a mile west of U.S. Highway 77 and four miles north of Hallettsville in north central Lavaca County (at 29°31' N, 96°56' W) and flows south for 5 1/2 miles to its confluence with West Campbell Branch, just northwest of Hallettsville. West Campbell Branch rises a mile east of Breslau (at 29°32' N, 96°58' W) and runs southeast for 5 1/2 miles, roughly paralleling the route of State Highway 957. The streams are named for James Campbell, a pioneer colonist who arrived in the area before 1830. The loamy and loamy clay soils in the area support range, pasturage, and corn and grain sorghum.
CLARKS CREEK. Clarks Creek rises a mile northeast of the intersection of Alternate U.S. Highway 77 and State Highway 95, at Yoakum in western Lavaca County (at 29°20' N, 97°08' W) and runs southeast for 33 1/2 miles to its mouth on the Lavaca River, 6 1/2 miles east of the intersection of Highway 77 and State Highway 111 (at 29°10' N, 96°52' W). Its course traverses rolling plains surfaced by variable soils. The area is used as range and improved pasture for cattle, with supplemental production of corn and grain sorghums and the flow from numerous oil and gas wells. The creek's name is probably derived from that of the families of Ben F. and John Clark, who lived in the area before 1840 and were active in the Clark-Hughes feud and the Petersburg-Hallettsville fight for the location of the county seat.
CROOKED CREEK. Crooked Creek rises near Farm Road 155 four miles northeast of Sublime in eastern Lavaca County (at 29°30' N, 96°44' W) and runs southwest for 9 1/2 miles to its mouth on the Navidad River, 3 1/2 miles south of Sublime (at 29°25' N, 96°47' W). The intermittent stream is dammed several times to provide water for cattle; these small impoundments also provide recreational fishing and some waterfowl habitat. The local soils have a deep sandy clay surface layer that is somewhat poorly drained. The rolling land along the stream, which is in an area locally called "the post oaks," is used primarily as unimproved range for cattle and is an excellent wildlife habitat.
EAST NAVIDAD RIVER. The East Navidad River rises at an elevation of 455 feet above sea level in a series of tanks a mile south of O'Quinn in south central Fayette County (at 29°49' N, 96°58' W) and runs southeast for twenty-three miles to a point where it joins the West Navidad River to form the Navidad River, just above Oakland in Colorado County (at 29°36' N, 96°50' W). For a portion of its route before its confluence with the West Navidad River, it forms the boundary between Colorado and Lavaca counties. The area is flat with some low-rolling hills, surfaced by firm calcareous clay layers extending to a depth of some fifty inches. On uplands these soils are fair for agriculture and pasture. The low-lying areas are subject to frequent flooding. Vegetation along the stream is a mixture of oak, pecan, and sycamore with an understory of cedar, yaupon, and wild grape. It is an excellent area for wildlife.
FOLEY BRANCH. Foley Branch rises a mile northwest of Ezzell in south central Lavaca County (at 29°17' N, 96°55' W) and runs east for 2 1/2 miles through wooded rangeland to its mouth on the Lavaca River, at the bottom of Tiger Bend (at 29°17' N, 96°53' W). The creek traverses gently sloping terrain surfaced by deep clay loam soils. Though the area is usually well-drained, it is subject to flooding. Local vegetation ranges from scattered oak clusters on the prairie to grape-hung thickets of oak, pecan, sycamore, and yaupon near the mouth of the stream. Foley Branch is named for the pioneer Foley family, whose members included Mason B. and H. S. Foley, who fought with John Coffee Hays's company during the Texas Revolution.
HARDYS SANDY CREEK. Hardys Sandy Creek, sometimes known simply as Hardys Creek, rises between the Lavaca and Navidad rivers in southeastern Lavaca County (at 29°20' N, 96°49' W) and runs southeast for thirteen miles, passing through the Speaks oilfield and then emptying into the Navidad River just below Gandy Bend and just above the Jackson county line (at 29°12' N, 96°44' W). Until the completion of the Speaks field, the area, which is among the most remote in Lavaca County, included few roads or trails and was used primarily as undeveloped rangeland for cattle. The low, relatively level terrain is surfaced by deep sandy loam soils and is prone to flooding; it provides excellent wildlife habitat. Bear Branch, West Sandy Creek, and East Sandy Creek are tributaries of Hardys Sandy Creek.
HONEY CREEK. Honey Creek rises in a tank on the Lavaca-Colorado county line near Farm Road 155 five miles northeast of Sublime (at 29°32' N, 96°45' W) and runs southwest in Lavaca County for 6 1/2 miles, passing through a wooded prairie area known locally as "the post oaks" before reaching its mouth on the Navidad River, two miles north of Sublime (at 29°30' N, 96°48' W). Where cleared and tended, the local sandy and loamy soils produce excellent pasture and crops of hay and corn. Much of the rolling land, however, is used as unimproved range and as wildlife habitat. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the area was heavily settled, and cemeteries for the Keiler, Redus, Allen, Geiger, and Obelgoner families are located near the stream.
INDIAN CREEK. Indian Creek rises in a tank a mile northeast of Shiner in western Lavaca County (at 29°27' N, 97°10' W) and runs southeast for 3 1/2 miles to its mouth on Rocky Creek, 2 1/2 miles east of Shiner (at 29°25' N, 97°07' W). It traverses flat-to-rolling terrain surfaced by well-drained upland loamy clays; the land is used locally for range and pastureland and occasionally for the cultivation of corn and grain sorghum. Indian Creek is not named on maps by the United States Geological Survey but takes its name from a local legend involving a clash between members of the Ponton settlement and raiding Indians around 1830.
KENT BRANCH. Kent Branch rises four miles northwest of Ezzell in south central Lavaca County (at 29°19' N, 96°56' W) and runs southeast for four miles to its mouth on the Lavaca River, near the beginning of Tiger Bend (at 29°18' N, 96°54' W). Soil in the generally flat area is sandy on the uplands and clayey and loamy in the Lavaca River floodplain. These soils are used primarily as range, as pastureland, and for the occasional production of corn and grain sorghums. Local vegetation ranges from scattered oak mottes on the upland prairie to dense oak, sycamore, yaupon, and grape thickets along the river. The stream is named for the family of Andrew Kent, who arrived in Texas in 1830, received a grant of 4,605 acres as his headright, and died in the Alamo as one of the thirty-two volunteers who rode from Gonzales to its defense.
LAVACA RIVER. The Lavaca River rises in the far northeastern corner of Gonzales County (at 29°38' N, 97°08' W) and flows southeast for 115 miles, crossing Lavaca and Jackson counties, to its mouth on Lavaca Bay in northern Calhoun County, 1 1/2 miles north of Point Comfort (at 28°42' N, 96°35' W). The river, which drains an area of approximately 2,280 square miles, was originally described by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who named it Rivière de Les Veches, or "Cow River," because of the buffalo in the area. The Spanish translated the name to Lavaca. Even though the stream is classed as intermittent because it depends on rainfall rather than permanent springs for its water, the average annual flow is about 600,000 acre-feet, and heavy rains bring frequent flooding as far upstream as Hallettsville. During the nineteenth century the river was normally navigable to Texana, thirty miles above its mouth. According to legend the Pride, flagship of pirate Jean Laffite's fleet, was scuttled in the Lavaca near its mouth when pressured by an American revenue cutter.
The Lavaca River flows by several towns, including Moulton, Hallettsville, Edna, and Vanderbilt, but its environs are used primarily for ranching and the production of oil and gas from the numerous oilfields that dot its banks. Its primary tributary is the Navidad River, which enters from the east two miles northeast of Vanderbilt (at 28°50' N, 96°35' W). The North Fork of the Lavaca River rises on the Lavaca-Fayette county line (at 29°38' N, 97°06' W) and flows south through Lavaca County for 7 1/2 miles to its mouth on the main Lavaca River, three miles southwest of Komensky (at 29°32' N, 97°05' W). The loamy clay upland soils of the area are easily eroded and are used primarily for rangeland, pastureland, and the production of corn and grain sorghum. Until the second half of the twentieth century this area produced good yields of cotton, but soil erosion and depletion encouraged many farmers to convert their lands to pasture for beef and dairy cattle. The course of the stream is marked with scattered oak, willow, and sycamore, and unimproved pasture reverts to scattered cedar and mesquite.
The West Prong of the Lavaca River rises three miles southwest of Moulton in western Lavaca County (at 29°33' N, 97°12' W) and flows east for 7 1/2 miles to its mouth on the Lavaca River, 1 1/2 miles southeast of Moulton (at 29°33' N, 97°07' N). It borders the south and west sides of Moulton and flows through rolling hills surfaced by well-drained loamy and clayey soils of generally open upland prairie; the soils are used primarily for rangeland, pastureland, and the production of corn and grain sorghum. Occasional outcroppings of sandstone dot the area, and on steeper slopes erosion is apt to be severe. Vegetation consists of scattered oak, willow, and hackberry mottes that provide cover for small game and upland birds. The stream is used for recreation in Moulton.
LITTLE BRUSHY CREEK. Little Brushy Creek rises two miles from Yoakum in DeWitt County (at 29°17' N, 97°13' W) and runs southeast for thirty-two miles to its mouth on Chicolete Creek in southwestern Lavaca County (at 29°07' N, 96°57' W) two miles northeast of the point where the DeWitt, Victoria, and Lavaca county lines converge. The local terrain is flat to rolling and is surfaced by highly permeable soil that supports mixed hardwoods and pines.
MILLER BRANCH. Miller Branch rises in far western Colorado County (at 29°35' N, 96°45' W) 2 1/2 miles north of where Farm Road 155 crosses from Colorado County into Lavaca County. It flows southwesterly for 6 1/2 miles, past the Rees, Shimek, and Eason cemeteries and into Lavaca County, to its mouth on the Navidad River, 2 1/2 miles south of Oakland (at 29°34' N, 96°50' W). The stream flows over terrain with dark clay and sandy clay loam surface layers up to eighty inches deep. The area is wooded with an often dense mixture of oak, willow, pecan, sycamore, and hackberry and an understory of yaupon, wild grape, and cedar. Before and during the Civil War the stream was known as Black Ivory Branch because runaway slaves lived in the jungle-like area surrounding its entrance into the Navidad River. It was renamed in honor of Ben Miller, who farmed the area during the 1870s and whose descendants still occupy land along the creek.
MIXON CREEK. Mixon Creek rises near the crossing of Farm roads 532 and 957, one mile southeast of Moravia in northern Lavaca County at a point (29°35' N, 96°59' W) and runs southeast, passing the communities of Old Kinkler, Kinkler, and Vsetin and crossing U.S. Highway 77, for 17 1/2 miles to its mouth on the Navidad River, one mile northwest of Sublime (at 29°29' N, 96°49' W). The first half of its course passes through generally open, gently rolling rangeland and pastureland of loamy sand and clay layers over denser layers of clay. In its lower reaches the stream enters floodplain soils densely wooded with oak, pecan, hackberry, and sycamore and subject to periodic flooding. Wildlife in the lower reaches is abundant, and the thickets near the Navidad River are as nearly impenetrable now as they were during the late 1800s. Mixon Creek is named for the family of William M. Mixon, who enlisted first as a private in Oliver Searcy's state service unit on June 6, 1861, and, when this was disbanded, in Company D, Twenty-seventh Texas Cavalry, on January 1, 1863.
MUSTANG CREEK. Mustang Creek is formed in west central Lavaca County by the confluence of the North and South forks of Mustang Creek (at 29°22' N, 97°05' W) two miles north of Sweet Home. The creek runs east for 7 1/2 miles to its mouth (at 29°23' N, 96°59' W) on Rocky Creek, in the Word oilfield five miles southwest of Hallettsville. The moderately well-drained upland loamy clay soils are used for pasture and rangeland and for the occasional cultivation of corn and grain sorghums. The mixture of open prairie and densely wooded areas of oak and mesquite provides excellent habitat for deer, quail, and doves.
RAGSDALE CREEK. Ragsdale Creek is formed by the juncture of East and West Ragsdale creeks six miles northeast of Vienna in eastern Lavaca County (at 29°23' N, 96°41' W) and flows south through densely wooded bottomland for 8 1/2 miles to its mouth on the Navidad River, where the latter crosses Farm Road 530 (at 29°19' N, 96°42' W). Ragsdale Creek traverses both the Vienna and the Provident City gas fields, passing through poorly drained soils of fine sand layers over deep clay subsoils. The surrounding rolling land frequently floods and provides unimproved pasture and wildlife habitat.
RICKAWAY BRANCH. Rickaway Branch rises 1 1/2 miles northeast of Hallettsville in north central Lavaca County (at 29°29' N, 96°55' W) and runs through the Hallettsville oilfield and the eastern edge of Hallettsville for 5 1/2 miles to its mouth on the Lavaca River, one-half mile south of Hallettsville (at 29°25' N, 96°56' W). The stream has been modified for livestock watering and to suit the oilfield, residential, and industrial areas through which it passes.
ROCKY CREEK. Rocky Creek rises 4 1/2 miles northwest of Shiner in eastern Gonzales County (at 29°29' N, 97°13' W) and runs 36 1/2 miles southeast, into Lavaca County, past the western edge of Shiner and its sewage treatment plant, crossing Alternate U.S. highways 90 and 77 and U.S. Highway 77, to its mouth on the Lavaca River, eight miles southeast of Hallettsville (at 29°20' N, 96°54' W). The stream flows through almost every soil type in Lavaca County. The area surrounding the stream was once noted for the production of cotton, but following 1960 most of it reverted to range, improved pasture, and the production of corn and grain sorghums. In early February 1836, while Texans were fortifying the Alamo against the invasion of Antonio López de Santa Anna, John Hibbins and his wife, Sarah Howard, his two stepsons, and Sarah's brother, George Creath, camped on Rocky Creek six miles north of the site of Sweet Home. In an attack by thirteen Comanches Hibbins and Creath were killed and Sarah and her two sons captured. Following the murder of the youngest son by the Indians, Sarah escaped and carried word to the Hornsby settlement on the Colorado River. The Indians were routed and the older son retaken by Bastrop County rangers near the site of present Austin.
SANDIES CREEK. Sandies Creek rises five miles southwest of Sublime in south central Lavaca County (at 29°24' N, 96°50' W) and flows southeast for 14 1/2 miles to its mouth on the Navidad River, in Seclusion (at 29°18' N, 96°14' W). The sandy loam of the area contributes washed sand found in high quantities in the streambed. Laughlins Sandy Creek, Sandies Creek's main tributary, also dumps sand and water into the creek. Most of the area is densely wooded with oak, pecan, sycamore, and elm with an understory of yaupon and grape. It is used as an unimproved range for cattle and as a wildlife habitat.
SANDY BRANCH. Sandy Branch rises three miles northeast of Sublime in northeastern Lavaca County (at 29°31' N, 96°45' W) and flows southwest for eight miles, passing through the eastern edge of Sublime and crossing Alternate U.S. Highway 90, on the Navidad River, 2 1/2 miles south of Sublime to its mouth (at 29°26' N, 96°48' W). It runs through poorly drained sandy loam, and the banks are eroded to depths of ten or more feet. The area, mostly unimproved range, is densely wooded with mixed oak, cedar, and yaupon, which provide excellent wildlife habitat.
SMOOTHING IRON BRANCH. Smoothing Iron Branch rises one mile southeast of Sublime in northeastern Lavaca County (at 29°28' N, 96°46' W) and flows southwesterly for 3 1/2 miles to its mouth on the Navidad River (at 29°25' N, 96°47' W). It drains an area known as Smoothing Iron Prairie. Soils in the gently rolling area are generally poorly draining sandy loam. Except where cleared, the area is heavily wooded with a mixture of oak, cedar, and yaupon that provides excellent wildlife habitat and is used primarily as unimproved range land for cattle.
SUPPLEJACK CREEK. Supplejack Creek rises at the intersection of Alternate U.S. Highway 77 and State Highway 95, just north of Yoakum in western Lavaca County (at 29°19' N, 97°09' W). It flows southeast through Yoakum and on for seventeen miles to its mouth on Clarks Creek, two miles northeast of the intersection of Highway 77 and State Highway 111 (at 29°13' N, 96°58' W). Its course is through poorly drained sandy upland prairie soils used primarily as rangeland for cattle. Vegetation consists of a fairly dense cover of scrub oak and mesquite that provides excellent habitat for wildlife, especially deer.
WEST NAVIDAD RIVER. The West Navidad River rises 3 1/2 miles southwest of Muldoon in southwestern Fayette County (at 29°48' N, 96°59' W) and flows southeasterly for twenty-three miles to the point where it joins the East Navidad River to form the Navidad River (at 29°36' N, 96°50' W). Throughout the upper half of its course it traverses land surfaced by clay and sandy loams and considered good for pasture and cropland. In its lower reaches, where dense stands of oak, pecan, sycamore, and associated species provide excellent wildlife habitat, the creek flows through low rolling hills subject to periodic flooding. Although water quantity fluctuates widely with the seasons, there are enough natural springs along the stream to keep water in pools even in summer.
WILLOW CREEK. Willow Creek rises five miles southwest of Sheridan (Colorado County) in eastern Lavaca County (at 29°26' N, 96°44' W) and flows southwest for six miles to its mouth on the Navidad River, one mile east of Vienna (at 29°22' N, 96°46' W). Most of its course crosses steeply broken and heavily wooded upland sandy soils. These soils have a pale brown loamy fine sand surface layer up to fourteen inches deep that is often deeply eroded into a mottled sandy clay subsoil. Most of the land is currently used as wooded range and wildlife habitat. At one time the area was densely settled, and the Willow Creek Cemetery on Farm Road 3283 contains several hundred graves.
