San Jacinto River Basin
The San Jacinto Basin is one of the smallest river basins in Texas. The basin's namesake river derives its name from the Spanish word for “hyacinth.” From headwaters in Walker County, the San Jacinto River flows southeast to Galveston Bay, which drains to the Gulf of Mexico. Other streams within the basin include the East and West forks of the San Jacinto River; Caney, Cypress, Peach, and Spring creeks; and Luce and Buffalo bayous.
An important issue in the basin is meeting the water supply needs of the Houston metropolitan area. Available groundwater supplies are decreasing, even as demands from the metropolitan area are increasing. Groundwater pumping in the basin has caused land subsidence and seawater intrusion into aquifers.