2019 Map of Steep Branch

About this map

The convergence of Madison, Grimes, and Walker counties defines this landscape of creeks and small private lakes. Deeply etched by drainage ways like Bedias Creek and its southern namesake, South Bedias Creek, the area shows a transition from the marshy wetlands in the north to the more defined ranching and residential land in the south. Genealogists and local historians will find several well-preserved family and community landmarks, including Carter Cemetery, Long Cemetery, and McAdams Cemetery, which sit among winding routes like J C Walker Loop and Round Prairie Road. The proliferation of man-made bodies of water, such as Murff Lake, Romano Lake, and Ubanoski Lake, suggests a 21st-century landscape heavily influenced by private land management and agricultural water needs in this corner of East Texas.