Bookmark and Share


SALT CREEK (Lampasas County). Salt Creek rises 3½ miles northwest of Lometa in western Lampasas County (at 31°15' N, 98°25' W). Intermittent throughout, the spring-fed stream flows in a southwesterly direction for 12½ miles to its mouth on the Colorado River, 3½ miles south of U.S. Highway 190 and 3½ miles west of Ranch Road 581 (at 31°10' N, 98°31' W). The creek crosses an area of the Grand Prairies and passes into the eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau as it nears its mouth. Terrain in the region ranges from flat to steeply sloping, and soils are generally shallow and stony sandy and clay loams. Vegetation consists primarily of grasses and open stands of live oak, Ashe juniper, and mesquite. Midcourse, the creek passes just south of the site of the ghost town of Senterfitt, which was founded in the 1860s. The stream, originally named Emmy's Creek after Emily Senterfitt, the wife of the town's founder, passed through the center of the town and at one time was dammed so that people could cross the main street, which intersected the stream. The resultant reservoir was used for boating, swimming, and other recreational purposes by the townspeople. Just west of Senterfitt, the area along Salt Creek was known as Maverick Valley and was used by rustlers to hide stolen cattle. A half mile downstream from its source the creek is dammed to form Lometa Reservoir, which was formerly called Santa Fe Lake. This reservoir was constructed in the 1920s and stocked with catfish and bass by the Santa Fe Railroad; it has long been a popular swimming and fishing spot.


