 The broad eastern stretch of the river, known as the Houston Ship Channel, plays an essential role in the Port of Houston and is home to one of the largest petrochemical refining complexes in the United States.Buffalo Bayou's environs are also home to significant amounts of parkland, including linear parks such as Terry Hershey Park and Buffalo Bayou Park which serve as corridors for walking and bicycling.White Oak Bayou, a major tributary of the Buffalo, has its source in Jersey Village and travels  southeast, through Inwood Forest, Oak Forest, and the Houston Heights.