Drinking the Rio Grande

[Al]

Homero, before I drop out of this "drink the water, or not" business I want to add one comment, you are a "downstream" person, the ""upstream" water from Elephant Butte Reservoir and Las Cruces  in NM only reaches El Paso; below El Paso the Rio Bravo never reaches the Rio Concho , not in many years. Whatever water does flow into the Rio Concho is "new water" from occasional rainstorms, recharged springs, etc. The "Rio Grande" unfortunately has long disappeared into the sands between El Paso Del Norte and Ojinaga. I love your Rio Concho and have camped near it's headwaters in Tarahumara country. I have also camped near it's source on the Continental Divide in Colorado.
Amigo,
Quicksilver

 So your saying that Rio Conchos is the only source of water for the Rio Grande, now  days?...this is news to me.

Yes, and I read and hear about it often; please do your own research, and I will forward to you any new data that I find.
Amigo,
QS

http://www.nps.gov/bibe/naturescience/riogrand.htm

QS, I think you may be simplifying the Rio Grande river water sources a bit.  These sources include ALL the rivers that drain into the Rio but not necessarily under low flow conditions.  Where and when water flows into the Rio depends on where and how much it rains in the various contributing river watersheds not to mention the Rio Grande watershed from which rainfall runoff drains directly into the river.

Al

[Al]

You might be correct. Obviously these conclusions are not from my own observations; for years I read that the "Rio Grande" ceases to exist about 100 miles downstream from  El Paso. Haven't you seen these reports? Regional storms, i.e. the recent flooding in Presidio, are just about the only source of replenishment, or so I have been told, or from contributing water  sheds. My contention is that very little, if any of the water that Las Cruces NM gets to Presidio, TX
QS

QS, I ain't lying.  Yes, I know that New Mexico harvests as much of the Rio Grande, before it enters Texas, as possible and that the River loses water along long stretches through the desert and can have zero flow during significant times of the year. 

I am not debating that NM collects as much of the river water as possible before it enters Texas.  Water is gold in the Western states and it is getting more precious.  But there are large areas including portions of Colorado and NM that drain to the Rio Grande but not through El Paso.  The total contributing watersheds to the Rio is huge even excluding the water that no longer flows through El Paso.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=a872ba72-a742-47db-9cdb-905fc539a520

http://tx.usgs.gov/infodata/basins.html

Al

[rgibson]

1.  Question was asked about the volunteer Big Bend River Watchers.   Formed for  the project mentioned in early 90's.  A one day school was given to qualify folks, most were with the BBNP.   Each site had a kit and the kits were turned in after the project.  The project was for a year or so.   I took the samples at Lajitas along with the Weather and the Rio depths for the NWS during the 90's.

Seems like one of the results was an advisory not to eat more than one meal a month from a fish caught in the Rio.  My personal thought was if only one is okay, none is better.

2.    Most years, the Rio will turn clear with no silt in the flow.  Usually last a week or two.

[Quatro]

Badknees...where did you find this info?

Do you know where I can get more info on "The Big Bend River Watchers group"?

The Volunteer Environmental Monitoring Program at Texas State University can probably put you in touch with the right folks.  (877)-506-1401.