The Rio Grande has existed in what is present day New Mexico for millions of years. The winding river is an iconic part of New Mexico's landscape. This river is integral to the lifeways of every living thing in New Mexico as it provides millions of gallons of water to crops, homes, and wild animals.
The Rio Grande's reliable, year-round water flow is what drew people to this area for thousands of years.
Did you know?
The Tewa word for the river is posoge which means big river.