Headwaters of the Neches River

   Neches River
As the Neches River moves closer to Lake Palestine, it expands to 50/75 yards at some points as seen in the photo above.		  
  Neches River  

The Neches River finds its unostentatious beginnings more than 500 feet in elevation above its fall to 0 feet at the end of its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Most people credit Colfax, Texas in Van Zandt County as its origin. The following provides you will a brief pictorial of the Neches headwaters as the river moves south to its first major reservoir, Lake Palestine.

 

  
  As you travel south of Colfax, the picture to the right is the one of the first views you are able to find of the Neches from an open public road.. You can go a sort distance to find some runoff from the hills and springs outside of town, but the drainage pipe under the farm road and this ditch provide the most easily definable origins of the river in the actual City of Colfax.   Neches River  
  Neches River   As you move to the east and cross the FM 773 bridge, you still see no sign identifying the river. It appears to be not more than run-off ditches through farm land. In fact, you can see where land owners have freely altered the course of these ditches to provide water to their properties for livestock.  
  Although the river becomes more definable as a running creek in this area, land owners do not welcome you with open arms to explore the river.   Neches River  
  Neches River   Neches River  
  Signs naming the river remain absent until you reach CR 314. There you will find you first sign naming the Neches River.   Neches River  
  Neches River   As you approach closer to Lake Palestine, you start to find portions of the river that reach 50 yards at points. Bridges start to widen and usage of the river for camping and fishing become more obvious.  
  Before you reach the reservoir, you can see where the river branches and narrows moving through marsh and swamp areas and then to a major access point at Chandler.   Neches River  
         
  Neches River, Lake Palestine   The pictures to the left and below were taken at Chandler the first week in March. These fishermen were waiting for the white bass run to come up the river.  
  Folks in the area are starting to find that kayaks provided an excellent way to fish the river north of the lake. This fellow is taking his new kayak into the river north of the lake for the first time.   Neches River  
  Neches River   Finally, you reach Lake Palestine. This is the first of two major reservoirs on the river. The second is Lake Steinhagen to the south. Palestine is a popular fishing lake covered with many bass boats, however, the lake is shallow with much standing timber and other obstacles.