White Oak Bayou

White Oak Bayou is one of the several waterways that give Houston, Texas, its popular nickname, "The Bayou City." The Bayou originates northwest of FM 1960, near Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 290/Northwest Freeway, and meanders generally toward the southeast until it joins Buffalo Bayou in downtown Houston.

Watershed

White Oak Bayou drains areas throughout the northwest portions of Harris County as well as the City of Jersey Village and portions of the City of Houston. Its watershed covers about 111 square miles and includes three primary streams: White Oak Bayou, Little White Oak Bayou and Cole Creek. In addition, Vogel Creek and Brickhouse Gully are among the major tributaries in the watershed. In all, there are about 151 miles of open streams in the White Oak Bayou watershed, including the primary and tributary channels.cite web | title=White Oak Bayou Watershed | work=Harris County Flood Control District (2006) | url=http://www.hcfcd.org/L_whiteoakbayou.html | accessdate=2007-05-28]

Wildlife habitat exists on much of the undeveloped tracts scattered throughout the watershed and has been preserved and/or created in several of the large regional stormwater detention basins constructed by the Harris County Flood Control District. However, only a little undisturbed wildlife habitat exists along the urban channels of White Oak Bayou and its tributaries.

History

The original Port of Houston was located at the confluence of White Oak Bayou and Buffalo Bayou in what is now downtown Houston by the nowrap|University of Houston–Downtown. This area is called "Allen's Landing" and is the official birthplace of Houston, Texas.cite web | author=Kleiner, D.J | title=Allen's Landing | work=The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Assoc. (February 3, 2005) | url=http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/AA/hvabg.html | accessdate=2007-05-28] The landing is now designated as an historical city park.

Near a bend in White Oak Bayou, where Houston's First and Sixth wards meet, lies Olivewood Cemetery, the historic six-acre resting place for many freed slaves and some of Houston’s earliest black residents. Established in 1877, it is the oldest graveyard for African-Americans in the Houston area.cite web | author=Perry, J | title=Grave undertaking: efforts to preserve earliest black cemetery | work=Houston Heritage, City Savvy (Online Ed. 2005) | url=http://www.houstontx.gov/hr/savvypages/archives/fall05/fall05_cemetery.htm | accessdate=2007-05-28]

In early June 2001, the Bayou caused at least three of 17 Houston-area deaths attributed to Tropical Storm Allison,cite web | author=Hegstrom, E., & Christian, C | title=17 deaths attributed to storm | work=Tropical Storm Allison, Houston Chronicle (June 11, 2001) | url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/storm2001/937282.html | accessdate=2007-05-28] when it raged out of its banks, as the maximum rainfall from Allison that fell on June 8th and 9th was shifted primarily over the White Oak Bayou watershed.cite web | title=White Oak Bayou | work=Shifted Tropical Storm Allison Rainfall, Tropical Storm Allison Recovery Project, FEMA and Harris County Flood Control District (2006) | url=http://www.tsarp.org/maps/map7.html | accessdate=2007-05-28] Its tributary, Little White Oak Bayou, accounted for another two deaths.

Along the Bayou

The West White Oak Bayou Trail runs along the banks of the bayou, parallel to T. C. Jester Boulevard, from 11th Street to Pinemont (just north of 43rd Street), providing bicyclists and pedestrians an almost 5-mile long concrete and asphalt trail. Passing through several parks, the trail is lighted and includes protective railings in some areas. In 2006, the "Houston Press" named the West White Oak Bayou Trail the best bike path in the City of Houston.cite web | title=2006 Best of Houston | work=Houston Press, Village Voice Media (2006) | url=http://www.houstonpress.com/bestof/award.php?oid=oid:30800&section=oid:28913&year=2001 | accessdate=2007-05-28]

Connections to and from the West White Oak Bayou Trail include the Central Business District (CBD) Access On-street Bikeway, at 11th Street and at Ella Boulevard on the south; and the West Houston On-street Bikeway, at 34th Street, Du Barry Lane (to Wakefield Drive), 43rd Street, Carleen Road (to Bethlehem Street), and Pinemont Drive on the north.cite web | title=West White Oak Bayou Trail | work=Houston Bikeway Program, City of Houston (2007) | url=http://www.publicworks.cityofhouston.gov/bikeways/westwhiteoak.htm | accessdate=2007-05-28]

Just north of downtown Houston, around White Oak Park, the banks of White Oak Bayou have been cleaned and a swampy area restored where birdwatching can be enjoyed. Yellow-crowned Night Heron and Green Heron nest there, and a number of eastern woodland birds also reside in and around the park.cite web | title=Oak Park | work=Upper Texas Coast Wildlife Trail (UTC), Texas Parks & Wildlife (October 4, 2006) | url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/wildlife_trails/coastal/upper/buffalobayou/#whiteoak090 | accessdate=2007-05-28] In addition, the White Oak Bayou Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and maintenance of wildlife habitats along the bayou, has been established as part of the Citizens' Environmental Coalition.cite web | title=White Oak Bayou Association | work=CEC Member Groups, Citizens' Environmental Coalition (February 16, 2006) | url=http://www.cechouston.org/CEC/?p=36 | accessdate=2007-05-28]

Also along the bayou, between 18th and 11th Streets, is a grove of trees that have been planted by Trees For Houston. The "Tribute Grove" offers individuals the opportunity to commemorate special people or events by planting a tree on White Oak's banks. Since 1997, 1,494 trees have been planted in area Tribute Groves by Trees For Houston.cite web | title=White Oak Bayou Tribute Grove | work=Our Programs - Tribute, Trees For Houston (2005) | url=http://www.treesforhouston.org/Programs/Tribute/White_Oak_Bayou.aqf | accessdate=2007-05-28]

References

External links

* [http://www.hcfcd.org/L_whiteoakbayou.html White Oak Bayou Watershed] at Harris County Flood Control District
*
* [http://www.publicworks.cityofhouston.gov/bikeways/westwhiteoak.htm Houston Bikeway Program]