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H.C.R. No. 181
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 WHEREAS, The Brazos River is the longest river in Texas, with
2 a watershed stretching from New Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico;
3 intertwined with the history of the Lone Star State, the Brazos was
4 well-known to early Spanish explorers, who called it "Los Brazos de
5 Dios," or "the Arms of God"; and
6 WHEREAS, In its 840-mile journey from the confluence of the
7 Salt and Double Mountain Forks in Stonewall County, the Brazos
8 crosses most of the physiographic regions of Texas, including the
9 High Plains, the West Texas Rolling Plains, the Western Cross
10 Timbers, the Grand Prairie, and the Gulf Coastal Plain; one of the
11 loveliest stretches, between Possum Kingdom Reservoir and Lake
12 Whitney, was immortalized by John Graves in his acclaimed and
13 enduringly popular book Goodbye to a River, first published in
14 1960; the 79th Texas Legislature recognized the author's
15 contributions to literature and to public awareness of the Brazos
16 by designating as the John Graves Scenic Riverway the portion of the
17 river basin downstream of the Morris Shepard Dam to the county line
18 between Parker and Hood Counties; and
19 WHEREAS, Equally picturesque is the neighboring section of
20 the Brazos that meanders through the eastern third of Somervell
21 County, where Mr. Graves has lived for decades on a Glen Rose farm;
22 the riverbanks are lush with cedar, live oaks, and post oaks, and
23 limestone cliffs and outcroppings provide a dramatic backdrop as
24 kayakers and canoeists enjoy the- gentle, winding course of the