Rio Grande Watershed
Winston Chu, Chris Dombrowski, Adam Picardo, Hayden Criollo
What Is a Watershed?
- an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins or seas
- an area of land where water drains off to go to the same place
- constantly managed to ensure healthy water conditions
The Rio Grande is the fifth longest river in the United States and among the top twenty in the world.
- The Rio Grande extends from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico which is around 1,901 miles.
- Overall, this forms a 1,255 mile segment between the United States and Mexico.
- As a result of this, the Rio Grande is a major supplier of water for the people of Texas and Mexico.
River Modifications
- Throughout 1906 and 1944, multiple agreements were signed by the International Boundary and Water Commission in order to share the water of Rio Grande.
- There are many dams that border the Rio Grande such as the Rio Grande Dam, Cochiti Dam, Falcon Dam, Caballo Dam, and many more.
Issues
- As a result of the watershed surrounding a very populated area, it faces a high demand problem.
- At the same time of trying to balance and secure a stable water supply to meet the expectation and needs of the surrounding people, it is trying to find balance between agricultural resources.
Water Supply and Use
- average annual precipitation is 6-9 inches
- water comes from runoff from snow and mountains
- irrigated agriculture
- pumped groundwater to support agricultural production