San Jacinto River (Texas)

For the river in California, see San Jacinto River (California).

The San Jacinto River (/ˌsæn dʒəˈsɪntoʊ/ SAN jə-SIN-toh, Spanish pronunciation: [ˈri.o ˈsaŋ xaˈsinto]) is a body of water that flows through southeast Texas. The name also originates from Saint Hyacinth, a Polish Dominican friar and missionary.[1] In the past, it was home to the Karankawa[2] and Akokisa[3] tribes.

The river begins with a west and east fork; the west fork begins in Walker County, to the west of Huntsville, and flows southeast through Montgomery County, where it is dammed to create Lake Conroe. The east fork begins in San Jacinto County, a few miles west of Lake Livingston, then flows south through Cleveland. The confluence of the west and east forks occurs in northeast Harris County, where the river is dammed to create Lake Houston. Continuing southward, the river merges with Buffalo Bayou before the mouth of Galveston Bay, forming part of the Houston Ship Channel.[4]

Historical Influence

The Battle of San Jacinto was fought at and along the confluence of where the rain-swollen[5] Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River meet in what is now Harris County during the Texas Revolution in 1836.[6] The decisive victory gave rise to the Republic of Texas. The site is now a historic state park known as the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site.[7] The park is also the site of the San Jacinto Monument.

Natural Disasters and Flooding

1994 Pipeline Explosion

In October 1994, flooding along the San Jacinto River led to the failure of eight petroleum-products pipelines, and the undermining of a number of other pipelines.[8] The escaping products were ignited, leading to smoke inhalation and/or burn injuries of 547 people.[9]

Hurricane Harvey

In 2017, flooding related to Hurricane Harvey damaged the protective barrier at the San Jacinto River Waste Pits site, releasing dioxins into the river. The EPA ordered International Paper and McGinnis Industrial Maintenance Corp to pay $115 million to clean up the contaminated site.[10] Additionally, the downpour of Hurricane Harvey caused cancerous industrial chemicals and substances to flow down the San Jacinto River after being released from heavily contaminated industries along the river.[11]

Historical Timeline

  • 1836: The Battle of San Jacinto is fought at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River.[12]
  • 1907: The San Jacinto Battleground State Park opens as the first state park in Texas[13]
  • 1960: The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is added as a National Historic Landmark.
  • 1994: Pipeline failures and explosions caused by the October 1994 flooding of the San Jacinto River.[8]
  • 2008: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adds the San Jacinto River waste pits to the federal superfund cleanup list.[14]
  • 2017: Hurricane Harvey causes flooding and damages the protective barrier of the San Jacinto River Waste Pits releasing dioxins into the river.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "St. Hyacinth". Nashville Dominicans. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  2. ^ Gatschet, Albert (2017) [1891]. The Karankawa Indians, The Coast People of Texas. Peabody Museum Press. ISBN 978-0282338053.
  3. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Karankawas. 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  4. ^ "San Jacinto River, West Fork". An Analysis of Texas Waterways: Major Waterways of East Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  5. ^ "History | Galena Park, TX". www.cityofgalenapark-tx.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  6. ^ "Battle of San Jacinto (1836) | Summary | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  7. ^ "San Jacinto Battleground | Texas Historical Commission". thc.texas.gov. 2025-11-01. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  8. ^ a b "National Transportation Safety Board Pipeline Special Investigation Report: Evaluation of Pipeline Failures During Flooding and of Spill Response Actions, San Jacinto River Near Houston Texas, October 1994". rosap.ntl.bts.gov. 1996-09-06. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  9. ^ "Pipeline Special Investigation Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  10. ^ a b "EPA orders cleanup at Texas toxic site flooded by Harvey". AP News. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  11. ^ Newman, Galen; Malecha, Matthew; Atoba, Kayode (2023). "Integrating ToxPi outputs with ArcGIS Dashboards to identify neighborhood threat levels of contaminant transferal during flood events". Journal of Spatial Science. 68 (1): 57–69. doi:10.1080/14498596.2021.1891149. ISSN 1449-8596. PMC 9996971. PMID 36910889.
  12. ^ "Battle". San Jacinto Battleground Association. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  13. ^ "Regional Historical Attractions | Deer Park, TX - Official Website". www.deerparktx.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  14. ^ "Site Profile - San Jacinto River Waste Pits TCRA - EPA OSC Response". response.epa.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
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29°32′49″N 94°56′53″W / 29.54694°N 94.94806°W / 29.54694; -94.94806


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