Rio Grande
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rio Grande (/ˈriːoʊ ˈɡrænd/; Spaingie: Río Bravo del Norte or Río Bravo, [ˈri.o ˈβra.βo]) is a river that flows frae soothwastren Colorado in the Unitit States tae the Gulf o Mexico. Alang the wey it forms pairt o the Mexico-Unitit States border. Accordin tae the International Boundary and Water Commission, its tot lenth wis 1,896 mile (3,051 km) in the late 1980s, tho course shifts occasionally result in lenth changes. Dependin on hou it is measured, the Rio Grande is the fowert or fift langest river seestem in North Americae.[2]
Rio Grande | |
Río Bravo del Norte, Tooh Baʼáadii (in Navajo), Kótsoi (in Jicarilla Apache) | |
The Rio Grande in Texas, c. 1899 | |
Kintras | Unitit States, Mexico |
---|---|
States | Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas |
Tributaries | |
- left | Red River, Rio Hondo, Rio Pueblo de Taos, Embudo River, Santa Fe River, Galisteo Creek, Alamito Creek, Terlingua Creek, Pecos River, Devils River |
- right | Conejos River, Rio Chama, Rio Conchos, Rio Salado, Rio Alamo, San Juan River |
Soorce | Canby Mountain, Continental Divide |
- location | San Juan Mountains, Rio Grande National Forest[1], Colorado, Unitit States |
- elevation | 12,000 ft (3,658 m) [2] |
- coordinates | 37°47′52″N 107°32′18″W [3] |
Mooth | Gulf of Mexico |
- location | Cameron Coonty, Texas; Matamoros, Tamaulipas |
- elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
- coordinates | 25°57′22″N 97°8′43″W [3] |
Lenth | 1,896 mi (3,051 km) [2] |
Basin | 182,200 sq mi (471,900 km2) [4] |
Discharge | for Eagle Pass, Texas/Piedras Negras, Coahuila |
- average | 2,403 cu ft/s (68 m3/s) [5] |
- max | 964,000 cu ft/s (27,297 m3/s) |
- min | 24 cu ft/s (1 m3/s) |
Map o the Rio Grande drainage basin |
The river serves as a natural border atween the U.S. state o Texas an the Mexican states o Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, an Tamaulipas. A vera short stretch o the river serves as the boondar atween the U.S. states o Texas an New Mexico. Syne the mid–20t century, hivy water consumption o ferms an ceeties alang the river haes left anerly 20% o its natural dischairge tae flow tae the Gulf. Near the river's mooth, the hivily irrigatit Rio Grande Valley is a important agricultural region. The Rio Grande is ane o 19 Great Waters recognisit bi the Americae's Great Waters Coalition.[6]
The Rio Grande's watershed covers 182,200 square mile (472,000 km2).[4] Mony endorheic basins are situatit athin, or adjacent tae, the Rio Grande's basin, an thir are whiles includit in the river basin's tot aurie, increasin its size tae aboot 336,000 square mile (870,000 km2).[7]