Julian Marmolejo Dallas Price Jazmyne Urban Rio Grande Julian Marmolejo Dallas Price Jazmyne Urban

History Border between Texas and Mexico Native Americans used it to practice irrigation

Current Rises as a clear, snow-fed stream more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m) above sea level in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado Flows south across Colorado and New Mexico

Current The Rio Grande is the 5th longest in north America The Rio Grande is the 20th longest in the world 2,000,000 Acers of farmland integrated along the coast

Environmental Snow fed Shifts in the river's channel have led to border disputes between the United States and Mexico Citrus fruit

Events The Native Americans were practicing irrigation of the arid country, when Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado arrived (1540). Today, dams on the Rio Grande are used for irrigation, flood control, and regulation of the river flow. Elephant Butte Dam (completed 1916) and Caballo Dam (completed 1938) in New Mexico create reservoirs that serve large areas. Near the mouth of the Rio Grande is the irrigation-dependent citrus-fruit and truck-farm region commonly called the Rio Grande Valley and developed principally in the 1920s. An agreement between the United States and Mexico in 1944 provided for future distribution of the river's water, but in drought years the amount reaching the United States is often less than what is called for under the treaty.