How much of a river's normal level flow does an arroyo have to capture for..

[greybeard]

the arroyo to be considered the main channel?
(in Texas)

 

[ccr]

The main channel is called the river. The arroyo drains into the river.

 

[greybeard]

The main channel is called the river. The arroyo drains into the river.

Used to.

Well, still does, but the lower part of it about 300-400 feet long has now captured about 1/3 flow of the river and the river water level is actually a little below normal level. The dotted line indicates where the new flow has begun after a continuous early May/June/ early July high flow water event forming an island of sorts. I guess the new flow could be called the West fork of the East Fork of the San Jacinto river. Not much of a river to begin with but it's never dried up and this has the potential to cause me to lose several acres of land if the arroyo captures all the flow or maybe even the majority, since 'center of main channel' defines my East property line.

 

[SmokinM]

Wouldn't it still be your land since the line is the east fork not the west fork of the east fork? May have to hire you some beavers to plug the arroyo up.

I don't know the answer I would say a surveyor could answer it for you. Logically it would have to take more than 50% to be the main channel but not sure anybody uses logic anymore.

 

[greybeard]

I don't know SmokinM.. I was joking about the west fork of the east fork thing, but I do know, if a river changes course, the land owner either gains or loses property in Texas. In this case, I would lose some and the national forest would gain.

I was pretty shocked, when I went down there last month to repair a fence after the waters finally receded and I could hear water running and I normally would have been quite a way from the main channel. Was down there late last year and the arroyo was nowhere near as deep and wide as it is now and that arroyo or draw has been there since at least 1964 when we originally fenced along the river.

There's something called 'avulsion' and that means a quick, sudden, change in the course of a stream. In that case, as i understand it, the property line does not change, but if it's a slow gradual change over a period of years, then the property line does change.

 

[callmefence]

Iirc 30' wide and flow more than 6 months of the year defines navigable water way. You can't fence across it or deny public access by way of the channel. Could get complicated for sure. Might be time to make that move west and get off that mudbar .
Use your new slough as a selling point. Someone fleeing the city will love it.

 

[greybeard]

Might be time to make that move west and get off that mudbar .

Getting there slowly. Shop's clean up, crated up, and everything junky is disposed of or ready to go. I'm just going to run the bush hog over everything one more time. Now, If my wife would hurry up and get done with her "cleaning and boxing" part inside the house...

 

[Brute 23]

Not sure how big the dotted ditch is but it probably wouldn't take much in the way of cement chunks or some thing of that nature to divert it back to the main route.

 

[ccr]

May be beginning of an oxbow.

 

[bird dog]

Years ago the Corp in their infinite wisdom tries to straiten the creek that forms my property line. When I bought the place and had it surveyed they still referred to the old creek bed as the the property line even though it is now cut off from the creek except during high water events. Not really a big deal as everybody has their fences pulled back enough to where they don't wash out.
I have seen three surveys of this place and they vary in acreage up to 10 acres. I ask about it and was told its the surveyors interpretation of the boundary lines???

 

[greybeard]

 

[Brute 23]

It's hard to change mother nature. There is a bigger reason it is starting to divert that way but I would be tempted to roll some big cement chunks off in it. It doesnt have to stop the water flow completely, just make it the path of greater resistance. It may just wash around them but nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

[farmerjan]

Getting there slowly. Shop's clean up, crated up, and everything junky is disposed of or ready to go. I'm just going to run the bush hog over everything one more time. Now, If my wife would hurry up and get done with her "cleaning and boxing" part inside the house...

View attachment 8073

Got a place to go to? Cows sold or going with you? How soon you moving?

 

[greybeard]

The cows were sold a couple months back.
Most of them (and some more) are still here as I leased the place out for grazing to the buyer of the cattle.

Moving back westerly, into central Texas where it's drier and less humidity. At 71, with none of the kids interested in it, my cow days are probably over.

It would take more than a few chunks of concrete or rocks to plug this off, and this is coming from what is the lowest the river has been all year.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

You do know that those who give you opinions concerning issues of legality on these pages will be the first to cover your expenses
if and when it should ever go to court? NOT!

 

[greybeard]

absolutely Lee. All advise and recommendations are usually worth exactly what one pays for it, regardless of the subject being discussed.

 

[Rafter S]

The cows were sold a couple months back.
Most of them (and some more) are still here as I leased the place out for grazing to the buyer of the cattle.

Moving back westerly, into central Texas where it's drier and less humidity. At 71, with none of the kids interested in it, my cow days are probably over.

It would take more than a few chunks of concrete or rocks to plug this off, and this is coming from what is the lowest the river has been all year.

Close to me? I'm guessing farther west, but maybe not.

 

[greybeard]

farther West. West of I35 at least.