LAREDO — When the Rio Grande is swollen with rain, as it was recently in Laredo, it’s hard to tell that more than 5 million gallons of raw sewage spill into its waters every day. But kayak through the little creeks on the side of the river bordering Mexico, and the odor is unmistakable.
Why is the Rio Grande so dirty?
For many years the Rio Grande has been polluted with municipal, industrial, agricultural and farming contaminants from both sides of the border. This pollution has led to the extinction or reduction of certain wildlife species as well as affecting the health of the residences along the border.
Is the Rio Grande water dirty?
Kayakers head out on the Rio Grande toward one of the international bridges that connect Laredo, Texas, and the town of Nuevo Laredo in Mexico. Raw sewage and animal carcasses float in the water.
Is the Rio Grande toxic?
The river serves as an important natural resource for industry, agriculture, domestic water supply, recreation, and wildlife habitat for both countries [1]. Unfortunately, the Rio Grande is also a reservoir for infectious micro-organisms and toxic pollutants [2].
Can you swim in the Rio Grande?
Swimming and even walking in the Rio Grande is dangerous, according to emergency officials. “You never know how fast the river is really flowing,” said Melissa Romero of the Albuquerque Fire Department. At times, the water can move so quickly it can knock someone down and take the person with it.
Where does the Rio Grande get its water from?
The Rio Grande River flows along the U.S. (Texas)-Mexico border for nearly 1,248 miles (2,008 km) including meanders. Although snowmelt from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado (Fig. 7) is a major source of water for the Rio Grande, runoff from northern Mexico also contributes to its flow.
What lives in the Rio Grande river?
Wildlife includes ocelots, the Texas tortoise, jackrabbits, javelinas, the horned lizard and green jays.
- Spotted ocelots are rare, but small numbers of them still live in the thick brushy country and woodlands of the Rio Grande Valley.
- The Texas tortoise is a protected species.
Is the Rio Grande river contaminated?
Along with its reduced and regulated flow, the river frequently contains high levels of salts and bacteria, as well as agricultural and industrial chemicals. Such contamination affects a wide variety of species.
Does the Rio Grande ever flood?
From the 1850s to the 1890s, the Rio Grande flooded almost every spring. Particularly large floods occurred in 1864 and again in 1897.
How deep is the Rio Grande river in New Mexico?
800-foot-deep
The Río Grande del Norte National Monument is comprised of rugged, wide-open plains at an average elevation of 7,000 feet, dotted by volcanic cones and cut by steep canyons with rivers tucked away in their depths. The Río Grande carves an 800-foot-deep gorge through layers of volcanic basalt flows and ash.
What is the most serious environmental problem in the Rio Grande Valley?
The Rio Grande Valley is a frontline community threatened by the worst ills of climate disruption—coastal flooding due to sea level rise and stronger tropical storms, as well as record-setting heat waves and extreme drought.
What color is the Rio Grande river?
Our reward was being able to stop and see the Rio Grande River. In the Del Rio area, the Rio Grande River is cool, clear and shallow alternating color from emerald green to sapphire blue.
What are the environmental issues in Mexico?
The top three environmental issues in Mexico are air pollution, lack of clean water, and deforestation.
Are there alligators in the Rio Grande?
Whatever their origins, the RGV has harbored a relatively small population of alligators along the coast at least since the 1970’s. Periodic surveys on refuge lands have yielded as many a 110, but their numbers fluctuate depending on drought. They do occasionally appear in the bay and Arroyo Colorado.
Is the Rio Grande safe to drink?
Pets and people should be discouraged from drinking the water in the Rio Grande, and from any water body that is not properly treated. You should be aware before swimming in the water whether the water body is impaired.
Do people fish the Rio Grande river?
Stream & Creek Fishing
The Rio Grande and its tributaries offer slow running waters, excellent for fly fishing as well as with lures. Many of the river’s smaller tributaries offer stream sized fish, and are abundant with aquatic life like cutthroat and rainbow trout.
Are there sharks in the Rio Grande?
Today’s RGV Shark Week is from another member of the Fishing Locos group, Matthew Zuniga, who shared photos of sharks he caught and released in the past three months at South Padre Island. Including a 10-foot hammerhead, a state record 9.5-foot bullshark, blacktips, spinners and sandbar sharks.
Who owns Rio Grande river?
The United States and Mexico share the waters of the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. A bilateral water treaty from 1944 (the 1944 Water Treaty) and other binational agreements guide how the two governments share the flows of these rivers.
Is the Rio Grande salt water?
The agricultural soil along the Rio Grande is naturally somewhat salty and because of the geological formations, the groundwater tends toward saltiness. This presents a problem for both municipal and agricultural water users in the region. El Paso pulls 50% of its drinking water from groundwater.
Is there catfish in the Rio Grande?
In the Middle Rio Grande irrigation system, nonnative species such as channel catfish and largemouth bass, along with invasive plants (parrotfeather) and invertebrates (rusty and virile crayfishes), are a serious problem in using drain canals as native fish habitat.
Can you fish the Rio Grande in Albuquerque?
The Rio Grande in Albuquerque is also available for fishing.
