Top Things You Never Knew About the Rio Grande!

Out of all the rivers in the United States, the Rio Grande is one of the longest and most well-known of them all. And while most people now its name, where it runs and even the English Translation of it(it’s Big River), there are actually quite a few things they don’t know. So, today, in an effort to educate and help you gain more brownie points with your river rafting buddies, we will be sharing with you the top things you never knew about the Rio Grande! So, keep reading and don’t forget to share!

“Wait, it’s not called Rio Grande?”

Well, technically it’s the Rio Grande here in the United States, but just across the border in Mexico, it’s called the Rio Bravo. And Rio Bravo literally means “the furious river.” Sounds about right, since some of the Rio Grande stretch has a lot Class IV and even Class V rapids. So, if you’re over the border and want to do a bit of whitewater river rafting, just ask “donde esta el rio bravo?.” Sorry, that’s it for my Spanish lesson.

“How many fish species live in the Rio Grande?”

Actually, the Rio Grande is one of the most important regions for freshwater biodiversity. Over 120 different species of fish are supported. In fact, almost 70 of those species are found nowhere else in the world. Likewise there are 3 specific areas that support bird species and even some mollusk. So, you can easily bring your binoculars and go bird watching while on the river.

“What type of food is grown from the Rio Grande’s?”

There are quite a lot of crops that are grown along the river. In the North part of New Mexico and Colorado, potatoes and alfalfa are grown. Likewise, West Texas specializes in pecans, peppers, onions and even cotton. So, there is a lot of diversity.

In the lower part of the Rio Grande, in the valley, citrus fruits, vegetables and more cotton are grown. But, the most interesting fact is that most cattle raising and agriculture are the leading industries all along the Rio Grande. That makes the Rio Grande one of the most important and vital rivers for the United States.

“Anything else not known about the Rio Grande?”

Well, as we said before, the Rio Grande is mostly used for domestic water supply and agricultural purposes. Even so, most of the water itself is drained from the river, with some parts being almost dry due to overuse and no recycling of water.

The good thing about this is that when the state of New Mexico opens the floodgates and lets loose the rivers in the summer months, it makes for amazing whitewater rapids. Of course, here at NMRA, we love this and so should you! Because the more that we share with the world what an amazing river this is, the more apt our government will be to protect it.

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