Water School

The headwater is the upper reaches of a stream or reservoir. It can also include the merging of streams that come together to form a river.

The Brazos River’s headwater begins at the confluence of its Salt Fork and Double Mountain Fork near the eastern boundary of Stonewall County. The river stretches a total of 938 miles across the state of Texas.

Knowledge surrounding a stream or river’s headwater can provide important information about the sources or causes of pollution and nutrient levels in the water. These headwaters are also important because they are the dominant source of water for rivers, ponds, and aquifers.

Paying attention to these headwaters can provide us with important information concerning what to expect our rivers to look like in future months.

Return to Water School to learn more about water!

Sources:
TSHA | Brazos River
The Importance of Headwater Streams (wv.gov)