Buffalo Bayou
| Buffalo Bayou | |
|---|---|
An unchannelized section of Buffalo Bayou near Memorial Park in Houston | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Fort Bend, Harris |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Junction of Willow Fork and Cane Island Branch |
| • location | Katy, Texas |
| • coordinates | 29°46′04″N 95°49′33″W / 29.767895°N 95.825756°W |
| Mouth | |
• location | Galveston Bay |
• coordinates | 29°45′41″N 95°05′13″W / 29.761408°N 95.086903°W |
| Length | 53 miles (85 km) |
| Basin size | 500 square miles (1,300 km2) |
| Basin features | |
| Population | 440,000 |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Mayde Creek, Turkey Creek, Rummel Creek, Spring Branch, White Oak Bayou, Hunting Bayou, Greens Bayou, San Jacinto River |
| • right | Brays Bayou, Sims Bayou, Vince Bayou |
| Inland ports | Houston Ship Channel, Port of Houston |
Buffalo Bayou is a slow-moving river which flows through Houston in Harris County, Texas. It was formed 18,000 years ago, flowing east for 53 miles (85 km) from Katy, Fort Bend County to the Gulf of Mexico. It flows through and connects many Houston waterways including the Addicks and Barker reservoirs, the Brays Bayou, Carpenters Bayou, Greens Bayou, Sims Bayou, and White Oak Bayou, as well as other natural springs and surface runoff. Additionally, Buffalo Bayou is considered a tidal river downstream of a point 440 yards (400 m) west of the Shepherd Drive bridge in west-central Houston.
As the principal river of Greater Houston, the Buffalo Bayou watershed is heavily urbanized. Its 102-square-mile (260 km2) direct drainage area contains a population of over 440,000. Including tributaries, the bayou has a watershed area of approximately 500 square miles (1,300 km2).