Comal River
Encyclopedia
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Proclaimed the "longest shortest river
Shortest river
-North America:* Roe River, Montana, United States* D River, Oregon, United States* Comal River, Texas, United States-Europe:* Norrström, Sweden, connecting Mälaren to the Baltic Sea at the Riksdag building...
in the world" by locals, it runs entirely within the city limits of New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
in southeast Comal County
Comal County, Texas
Comal County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 108,472. Its seat is New Braunfels.Comal County is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History Timeline:...
. It is a tributary of the Guadalupe River
Guadalupe River (Texas)
The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...
. The Comal begins at Comal Springs in Landa Park and flows 2.5 miles (4 km) until its junction with the Guadalupe.
The Comal was originally called the Little Guadalupe in early Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
accounts. After Spaniard Pedro de Rivera y Villalón identified the longer river as the Guadalupe in 1727, the Comal was given its current name. The name means basin or flat dish in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
Historically the Comal was used to power watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s and cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
s by early German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
settlers, and later to provide hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
. The river is primarily used for water recreation today, being the location of the original Schlitterbahn
Schlitterbahn
Schlitterbahn is a family-owned and operated company based in New Braunfels, Texas, USA. Schlitterbahn began its first park, Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, in 1979. Since then Schlitterbahn has developed three waterparks located in Texas and one in Kansas City, Kansas.Schlitterbahn Waterparks are...
water amusement park. The water is administered by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority
Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority or GBRA was formed in 1933 by the Texas legislature. Its main concerns are water supply and water conservation in the Guadalupe River Basin, which includes the Blanco, Comal, and San Marcos rivers. The authority extends over ten counties...
.
The river is also one of only two rivers to host the fountain darter
Fountain darter
The fountain darter is a small freshwater fish found in the headwaters of only two rivers in Texas: the Comal River and the San Marcos River. It is generally smaller than 3 cm long and feeds on small invertebrates...
, a fish now in danger of extinction. The only other river inhabited by the darter is the nearby San Marcos River
San Marcos River
The San Marcos River rises from the San Marcos Springs, the location of Aquarena Springs, in San Marcos, Texas. The springs are home to several threatened or endangered species, including the Texas Blind Salamander, Fountain Darter, and Texas Wild Rice...
.
Recreation
Mild currents, clear water, and a host of treasures left behind by tubers make the river an ideal local for scuba divingScuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. Because the Comal maintains a temperature of approximately 72 degrees fahrenheit (approximately 22 degrees Celsius) year round, divers are present in both the summer and the winter. Thousands of people from all walks of life tube down the Comal River in the spring & summer to enjoy the river's natural beauty. Tubing
Tubing
Tubing may refer to:* Tubing , flexible hose or pipe * Tubing , the act of riding an inner tube* Structural tubing* Plumbing tube used in domestic water systems* Inserting a tube* Brass instrument tubing...
on the Comal provides a less intense alternative to tubing on the nearby Guadalupe river, where one may encounter frequent rapids and boulders to paddle around. The Schlitterbahn
Schlitterbahn
Schlitterbahn is a family-owned and operated company based in New Braunfels, Texas, USA. Schlitterbahn began its first park, Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, in 1979. Since then Schlitterbahn has developed three waterparks located in Texas and one in Kansas City, Kansas.Schlitterbahn Waterparks are...
Water Park is built along a 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) stretch of the river.
