R is for Rio Grande

The Rio Grande at normal level;
Robledo Mountains on the other side

When we moved from Massachusetts to Las Cruces, New Mexico, I was surprised to learn that the Rio Grande is right across town. Miles to the east of us, the river forms the international border between the U.S. and Mexico. It's an important source of irrigation for farmers in both countries who grow pecans, cotton, and peppers. Upriver, dams create Elephant Butte and Caballo Lakes where water is stored and periodically released. We've had a drought lasting years, though. Here is a photo I took earlier this year, standing in the river bed. This is not even normal river water. What you see is effluent from a water treatment plant a couple of miles "upstream." In some places, you can walk across the river without getting your feet wet.

Rio Grande at Bosque State Park, January 2013