<P> The Brazos River watershed covers a total area of 119,174 square kilometers . Within the watershed lie 42 lakes and rivers which have a combined storage capacity of 2.5 million acre - feet . The Brazos watershed also has an estimated ground water availability of 119,275 acre - feet per year . Approximately 31% of the land use within the watershed is cropland . Approximately 61% is grassland (30%) shrubland (19.8%) and forest (11%) while urban use only makes up 4.6% . The population density within the watershed is 19.5 people per square kilometer . </P> <P> The main water quality issues within the Brazos Watershed are high nutrient loads, high bacterial and salinity levels and low dissolved oxygen . These water quality issues can be attributed to livestock, fertilizer and chemical run off . Sources of run off are croplands, pastures, and industrial sites among others . Fracking is also cause for concern regarding water quality within the Brazos Watershed . The Barnett Shale lies partially within the watershed which is the second largest source of natural gas in the US . Studies have shown that the watershed receiving the most toxic pollution is the lower Brazos river which received 33.4 million pounds of toxic waste in 2012 . </P> <P> Canoeing is a very popular recreational activity on the Brazos River with many locations favorable for launching and recovery . The best paddling can be found immediately below Possum Kingdom Lake and Lake Granbury . </P> <P> Sandbar Camping is also permitted since the entire streambed of the river is considered to be state - owned public property . Fishing, camping, and picnicking are legal here, including on the sandbars . Several scout camps are located along the Brazos River and they support a wide range of water and shoreline activities for scouts, youth groups and family groups . </P>

Map of the brazos river in houston texas