The Delaware River (Texas) or Delaware Creek is an intermittent stream that rises in
Guadalupe Mountains National Park about west of
Pine Springs and north of
Guadalupe Peak
Guadalupe Peak, also known as Signal Peak, is the highest natural point in Texas, with an elevation of above sea level. It is located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and is part of the Guadalupe Mountains range in southeastern New Mexico ...
in northwestern
Culberson County, Texas
Culberson County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 2,188. The county seat is Van Horn, Texas, Van Horn. Culberson County was founded in 1 ...
. It flows into the
Pecos River
The Pecos River ( ; ) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico, at an elev ...
in
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, north of the border with Texas.
From its source in the
sky island of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the Delaware River flows through the sparsely populated
Chihuahuan Desert. There are no cities or towns along its course, and a few ranches and the small community of Pine Springs (population 51) are the only settlements. The land near the river is mostly used for
cattle ranching.
The Delaware River was named after the
Delaware Indians who guided early American expeditions to this area, including that of
Randolph B. Marcy in 1849. The
Butterfield Stage route, beginning in 1858, followed the Delaware River. A stagecoach station was established at Delaware Springs () where several springs, some with potable water and others mineralized, provided the only reliable source of water for many miles around.
["Delaware Springs", https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rpd01, accessed 21 May 2018]
See also
*
List of rivers of Texas
The list of rivers of Texas is a list of all named waterways, including rivers and streams that partially pass through or are entirely located within the U.S. state of Texas. Across the state, there are 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers ...
Notes
References
*
USGS Geographic Names Information Service*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Texas (1974)
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Rivers of New Mexico
Rivers of Texas
Bodies of water of Culberson County, Texas