South Concho River

The South Concho River is one of the few rivers in Texas to run south to north for its entire length. Rising from Anson Springs some four miles south of Christoval, Texas in Tom Green County, it flows north through the town of Christoval, then continues north for 13 miles before it joins the Middle Concho to form Twin Buttes Reservoir in what is now southwest San Angelo. When released, the river flows through Lake Nasworthy, and continues north to join the North Concho River at Bell St. in east San Angelo. The river is known for its cool clear deep water and its pecan-covered banks. Watercress grows in the shallows along the banks.

Because it is unique in the southwestern landscape, it was a landmark favored by both Indians and early Anglo travelers. An important stopover on the Comanche War Trail, the South Concho was also a welcome resting place for early Anglos heading west across Texas. Susan Peak, a unique mesa on the Southern Edwards Plateau is located just southeast of Anson Springs, making the springs particularly easy for early travelers to locate.

Concho River

The Concho River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. Concho is Spanish for "shell"; the river was so named due to its abundance of freshwater mussels, such as the Tampico pearly mussel (Cyrtonaias tampicoensis).

Geography

The Concho River has three primary feeds: the North, Middle, and South Concho Rivers. The North Concho River is the longest fork, starting in Howard County and traveling southeast for 88 mi (142 km) until merging with the South and Middle forks near Goodfellow Air Force Base at San Angelo, Texas. The combined branches of the river flow east about 58 mi (93 km) until it eventually empties into the Colorado River about 12 mi (19 km) east of Paint Rock, Texas.

History

Hernando de Ugarte y la Concha, Governor of New Mexico, dispatched an expedition from Santa Fe in 1650 led by Captain Diego del Castillo, to explore what is now north central Texas. The expedition reached the territory of the Tejas Indians, and reported finding pearls on the Concho River. The Diego de Guadalajara expedition was launched in 1654 to follow up on Castillo's findings. The Spanish explored the river for the gem-quality purple to pink pearls produced by that species. The mussels were systematically harvested for only a short time because it was soon realized that the yield of pearls was too low for their harvest to be economically viable.