The Neches River (/ˈneɪtʃɪz/) begins in
Van Zandt County west of Rhine Lake[2] and flows for 416 miles (669 km) through the
piney woods of east
Texas, defining the boundaries of 14 counties on its way to its mouth on
Sabine Lake near the
Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs,
Lake Palestine and
B. A. Steinhagen Reservoir are located on the Neches. The
Angelina River (containing
Sam Rayburn Reservoir) is a major tributary with its confluence at the north of Lake B. A. Steinhagen. Tributaries to the south include
Village Creek and
Pine Island Bayou, draining much of the
Big Thicket region, both joining the Neches a few miles north of
Beaumont. Towns and cities located along the river including
Tyler,
Lufkin, and
Silsbee, although significant portions of the Neches River are undeveloped and flow through protected natural lands.[3] In contrast, the lower 40 miles of the river are a major shipping channel, highly industrialized, with a number of cities and towns concentrated in the area including
Beaumont,
Vidor,
Port Neches,
Nederland,
Groves, and
Port Arthur.
Etymology
It is believed that the name of the river was derived from the
Caddo word "Nachawi", meaning "wood of the bow", after Spanish settlers called it Río Neches.[4]
Untamed river
With the exception of dams and manmade lakes, much of the river is in a natural state. Approximately 11 miles of the upper Neches flows through the
Neches River National Wildlife Refuge, established to protect the biologically diverse bottomland hardwood forest and habitat for
migratory birds, and opened to the public as recently as 2019.[5] Downstream, the river delineates the eastern border of
Davy Crockett National Forest including more than nine miles of the
Big Slough Wilderness Area of the National Forest.[6] Further downstream the Neches defines much of the southern border of
Angelina National Forest including roughly four miles of the
Upland Island and Longleaf Pine Wilderness Area of Angelina National Forest.[6] The Angelina Neches/Dam B Wildlife Management Area is situated at the confluence of the Neches and Angelina Rivers protecting 12,636 acres of the river's floodplain and bottomland, administered by the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department along with the adjacent
Martin Dies Jr. State Park on the eastern side of Lake B. A. Steinhagen.[7] South of the Lake, beginning at Town Bluff Dam and running 56 miles south to Beaumont, is the Neches River Corridor Unit of the
Big Thicket National Preserve, administered by the
National Park Service. The Big Thicket National Preserve is recognized as a
biosphere reserve by
UNESCO, preserving an area where several
ecosystems converge. The Big Thicket Visitor Center is off
U.S. Highway 69 several miles north of
Kountze, Texas.
Beginning in 2006, the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service purchased land along the Neches River for the creation of the
Neches River National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge includes land on which the city of
Dallas had proposed to build a
reservoir to meet the water needs of the city and its surrounding
suburbs. Tentatively named Lake Fastrill, this reservoir was not scheduled to be built until 2050. The city of Dallas and the Texas Water Development Board filed a lawsuit in 2007 against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, claiming the wildlife refuge was established without considering the economic and environmental impacts. However, in February 2010 the
United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, paving the way for the acquisition of lands for the wildlife refuge.
The lower forty miles of the river is industrialized, from the
BeaumontInterstate 10 bridge to Sabine Lake. The river is maintained as a deep water ship channel running between the
Port of Beaumont to
Sabine Lake. Currently 40 feet deep and 400 ft wide, the river is being deepened to 48 feet. The total estimated cost of the
Sabine-Neches Waterway project is $1.1 billion.[8]
Several petro-chemical plants are located in the river's southern section. The Sabine-Neches Navigation District, formed in 1909, has management responsibilities of the portion of the river which is part of the Sabine-Neches Waterway.[9]
Views of the industrialized portion
Rainbow and Veteran's Memorial bridges near river mouth
View of a portion of Port of Beaumont
Port of Beaumont looking toward wharfs 5,6,&7
1st Air Cavalry Brigade Takes Birds to Port of Beaumont
River view at one of the petro-chemical facilities
The
KCS Railway bridge over the Neches River in Beaumont is a major transportation link for the region.
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abFritz, Edward C. (1993) Realms of Beauty: A Guide to the Wilderness Areas of East Texas, revised edition. University of Texas Press, Austin. 120 pp.
ISBN0-292-72479-9