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| Hiking | 1.00 Miles |
20 AEG |
| | Hiking | 1.00 Miles | 30 Mns | | 2.00 mph |
| 20 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I drove to Las Cruces for a little out of town shopping for things I can't get in a smaller town, and to get some sun. I went back to the Dry Rio Grande south of, well anywhere south of the dams north of Cruces, but south of Las Cruces. I drove west of Mesquite, NM, and stopped at the bridge over the sandy, dry Rio Grande.
Once again, the striking contrast to what I remember about important or large rivers is impressive. The Gila is dry by Phoenix, but that is small compared to the larger river of the region: The Colorado. It is to me, at least. Ironically, after I walked this brief hike, I saw an article in a local paper about low snow pack up north and the likelihood of a looming water shortage for the basin after several dry years. Wells are an important water source for the area, so it may not matter all that much.
The water ends up in the large Pecan Plantations, and the other local crops of the area. It's funny, as if they were date palms and citrus, I wouldn't care, but something about pecans and cotton seems like a huge waste. Dairy, as well.
Even if full of water, the Rio Grande doesn't appear to be an impressive river. Something on the order of the Mullica River, south of Basto, if you are familiar with those streams. Oak Creek seems more impressive, and the Verde definitely is. It's fun to walk on a dry river, but I wonder when this ever really flows. For an important cultural, geographic, and hydrological feature, it's practically nothing to note. |
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Route Editor
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