"The Rio Grande" Texas Favorite Tip by Stephen-KarenConn

Favorite thing: The entire southern border of Texas is formed by the Rio Grande River, which seperates Texas from Mexico. South-of-the-border the river is called El Rio Bravo del Norte. The Rio Grande rises in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorade, and flows southward into and through the entire length of New Mexico to the corner where New Mexico, Texas and Chihuahua, Mexico meet. There the river forms the divide between El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico, and from this point it flows generally in a southeastward direction, albeit making a "Big Bend," until it seperates Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Mexico, just before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.

Although the Rio Grande is never very wide, and sometimes just a trickle, it runs a total of 1,885 miles, 1,254 of which are along the Texas/Mexico border. A 196 mile stretch of the river, beside and just below Big Bend National Park, has been designated a National Wild and Scenic River. Much more than just a border, the river is an important source of irrigation water, helping support life in the Rio Grande Valley for millenia. In spite of border restrictions, the river also offers some recreational opportunities for boating, fishing, etc.

Rio Grande