The 'San Marcos River' rises from the
San Marcos Springs, the location of
Aquarena Springs, in
San Marcos, Texas. The springs are home to several threatened or endangered species, including the
Texas Blind Salamander,
Fountain Darter, and
Texas Wild Rice. The river is a popular recreational area, and is frequented for
tubing,
canoeing,
swimming, and
fishing.
Course
The river begins at San Marcos Springs, rising from the
Edwards Aquifer into
Spring Lake. Access to much of the headwaters is restricted due to the delicate ecosystem and numerous rare species. The upper river flows through
Texas State University and San Marcos, and is a popular recreational area. It is joined by the
Blanco River after four miles, passes through
Luling and near
Gonzales flows into the
Guadalupe River after a total of 75 miles (121 km). This course is the first section of the
Texas Water Safari.
History
A dam on the San Marcos River at
Luling.
The history and naming of the river is somewhat unclear. It may have been discovered by
Alonso de León’s expedition in 1689, but some scholars believe they instead had found the
Colorado or
Navidad rivers. The convention came to call the first sizeable river beyond the Guadalupe. However, at the time, the
Comal River was often called the Guadalupe, and part of the Guadalupe often called San Ybón. In 1808, the Spanish established San Marcos de Neve, just south of present-day San Marcos. They had friendly relations with the
Tonkawa indians, but the hostile
Comanche tribe forced them to leave in 1812. In
1998, the river was affected by
severe flooding.
The San Marcos River Bridge near Gonzales was featured in
Secondhand Lions.
External links
★
★
San Marcos River Foundation
★
Edwards Aquifer
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