Brazos Bend State Park, Fort Bend County, Texas – Brazos Bend State Park
closed to public use at 6 p.m. on Sunday, January 6th because of flooding of the Brazos River. The park will remain closed through at least January 11th.
According to Park Superintendent Chris Bishop, “The National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service model is projecting a cresting height of 49.3 feet for the Brazos River on the FM 1462 gauge in Rosharon. Our experience has been that the park loses road access to the camping area and Hale Lake Day-Use Area when the river is between 46 and 48 feet.”
Bishop advised that he anticipates that the closure dates will be extended when the park’s staff has a better sense of how flood conditions unfold and as potential damage from the floodwaters is assessed and repaired.
The historic floods following Hurricane Harvey in 2017 reached a cresting height at this gauge of 52.65 feet. Bishop said that park staff anticipates this current flood to be a much lower magnitude flooding event.
“Our number one priority is public safety. We want to be certain that we are providing both a safe environment and a quality park experience before we re-open the park to public use,” said Bishop.
Brazos Bend State Park is a 5,000-acre parcel of public land managed by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to conserve natural and cultural resources, provide recreational and educational opportunities, and foster an understanding of the diversity of Texas’ lands and heritage for all generations.
For more information about Brazos Bend State Park or this release, please contact Chris Bishop, (979) 553-5101, email –christopher.bishop@tpwd.texas.gov or visit www.brazosbend.org or Texas Parks & Wildlife on the web at www.tpwd.state.tx.us, or join the park’s Facebook fan site.