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Wild Rio Grande

By: IC

Wild! Scenic! Floating down the Big Bend of the Rio Grande is an

experience unlike any other. It is a chance to commune with nature and

admire the wild beauty of the surroundings. It is a trip that brings

inner peace while contemplating the scenic marvel of the river.



Past Big Bend 's eastern boundary, the Rio Grande enters a system of

desert canyons 83 miles long. This is truly the heart and soul of the

Wild and Scenic River, providing outstanding opportunities for solitude

and wilderness experience. The Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande, on the

other hand, are some of the most challenging rapids in the Rio Grande. A

kayaker could be miles away from civilization in dangerous rapids

without any assistance anywhere near.



High canyon walls rise on both sides of the river, and a paddler would

pass days in a narrow gorge. The lower canyons possess the splendor of

the wilderness untouched by humans, away from civilization. It is the

river in all its natural wonder, from the placid Big Bend to the

turbulent rapids of the Lower Canyons that bring awe and wonder to those

who see it.



The Rio Grande has its source in Sguache County in Colorado, it travels

southward into New Mexico, and forms the border of Texas with Mexico

until it reaches its end in a sandy delta at the Gulf of Mexico. Shifts

in the river's channel have led to border disputes between the United

States and Mexico. The Rio Grande, one of the longest river systems in

the United States, really lives up to its designation of Wild and Scenic

River.



A 196-mile section of the Rio Grande, from Mariscal Canyon to the

Terrell-Val Verde county line, was designated by Congress as a Wild and

Scenic River. Rivers with this designation are free flowing , their

ecosystems actively protected in their natural state. Only 2% of the

rivers in the United States are unspoiled enough to meet the standards

of the Wild and Scenic River designation. The designation for the Rio

Grande came as recognition of the ecological importance of the riparian

and canyon habitat within the free-flowing section of river that borders

Big Bend National Park.



But all is not perfect in paradise. Historically, the Rio Grande floods

its banks seasonally. Now it no longer does because of damming. Water

levels that have been lowered by dams are also threatening the wildlife.

The river itself carries pollutants downstream, further threatening the

fish and native wildlife around the river's ecosystem. Parts of the Rio

Grande have dried up for the first time since 1955, and the low levels

caused by dams are not helping any. Some campsites have disappeared, and

river trips are becoming increasingly difficult when sections of the

river dried up.



Conservation efforts have been made to keep the Rio Grande in its

pristine condition, and the battle between nature's splendor and man's

impact goes on. To the Rio Grande , the Wild and Scenic river

designation is perfectly apt. It is wild, and scenic. Let us keep it

that way.

Article Source: Free Content Articles Directory

Randy Watson is a real estate agent with Cowboy, REALTORS
<www.satxproperty.com/randy.php> serving South Texas and all San Antonio real Estate. Visit San Antonio MLS Home Search
<randywatson.listingware.com/search/> for free online MLS Home Search. You are also invited to read more San Antonio blog
<www.satxproperty.com/welcome/satxblog/events-and-tourism/> articles.

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