Brazos River

The Brazos River was named the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers (translated as “The River of the Arms of God”). It is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at 1,280 miles from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico. It is a centerpiece of downtown Waco, passing through the heart of downtown and then past Baylor University on its way south. Athletes swim its waters as part of the TriWaco triathlon, people fish for catfish, and sightseers enjoy the mud ducks that beg for bread.