X
GO

Water School

Can I camp on a sandbar in the river?

The streambed of the Brazos River, and all tributaries in Texas, is state-owned and operated, meaning camping, picnicking and fishing are all legal here, including sandbars.

Photo by Juan Ramirez

Sandbars are described as offshore bars that can be partly or completely submerged in the river, according to Realonomics. They are formed by bits of sand, silt and sedimentary rock that are deposited by rip currents in the river, then piled onto the bar due to the backwash of the water. 

During droughts and times when water flow in the river is significantly less than a normal rainy season, the Texas rivers may have more sandbars than usual, meaning more places to camp. 

Campers and picnickers must be careful when picking a spot to camp on a sandbar. Because sandbars only appear when the water is at lower or normal water levels, it is possible that sandbars will be covered post-flood or after heavy rains. Checking the weather forecast is recommended before planning a sandbar camping trip to avoid the flooding and eroding that could occur in severe weather conditions. 

Also, it is recommended not to set up camp on a sandbar without vegetation — this means that the sandbar often floods often enough to not allow plant growth, according to the National Flood Experts

Avid sandbar campers also recommend having flotation devices ready for each person, just in case. 

Lastly, it is important that campers also know the difference between public, state lands and private, residential boundaries. In order to not cross over into these private spaces, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recommends not crossing the “gradient boundary,” which is defined as "located midway between the lower level of the flowing water that just reaches the cut bank and the higher level of it that just does not overtop the cut bank,” or the brushy area just past the river.

Return to Water School to learn more about water!

Related

Share

Search
Categories

The information provided on this site is intended as background on water within the Brazos River basin. There should be no expectation that this information is all encompassing, complete or in any way examines every aspect of this very complex natural resource.

If you have questions about a post or would like additional information, please contact us or call 888-922-6272.

Tags
lake level municipal rain corps of engineers limestone monitor measure streamflow water quality algae possum kingdom volume watercourse mainstem ground water riverine water clarity infection water dock bottled water well mgd runoff marsh lake levels environmental agricultural clarity salt industrial hunting streamflow PAM hydropower E. coli inundated aquifer groundwater smell biosolids legislation agriculture flood consumption flood pool filter map fertilizer turbidity emergency use recreation employment flood control lake drinking water inland direct re-use classification industry basin river insurance septic system indirect re-use reservoir organic drought TCEQ gulf storage taste mission contaminants conservation governance water treatment chlorides bay wildlife lakes chlorine jobs pharmaceuticals treatment wetland habitat subsidence district water plants maps canoeing surface water invasive plants water cycle anaerobic water planning authority gage kayak meta tag fish kill USGS allens creek reservoir dissolved solids speaker E coli appropriation rights use depth brackish subwatershed canoe stream boating electric companies minerals mitigation aerobic golden algea medicine evaporation environment channel tributary impound quality planning electricity septic water supply gate hydrilla water code pollutants acre-foot beneficial use fishing costs potable xeriscape climate lawn wastewater riparian cfs Board parasite lake hydrology permit dam main stem drilling sanitation solids soil sewage water rights wetlands releases sludge farming precipitation watershed calcium golden algae water use bed and banks camping spillway sediment oxygen contract supply salinity system granbury reservoirs subsidence effluent spring estuary acre-feet fork hydrologic cycle gas landscaping corps