Rio Grande Overflowing...Great for Boaters, Wildlife, Everyone!

The Rio Grande whitewater is being reported as quite outstanding this year. With good precipitation in New Mexico and the snow pack in Colorado, it is the best year in a decade or more. The guides for New Mexico rafting companies are already getting busy.

At Los Rios River Runners, these guides are preparing for the season, which includes scouting the Taos Box to familiarize themselves with the temperament and flow of the river. The Taos Box is considered one of the best white water runs in the country, as it runs through the 800 foot Rio Grande Gorge west of Taos. The photos above were from John Dunn Bridge at the beginning and Sunset Rapid, near the Taos Junction Bridge, which is at the end.

Thanks to ample snow melt from the unusually wet winter, water levels in the Rio Grande this year will be reaching points not seen in years, which is especially significant as we were seeing record drought levels at this time last year. Even more, the high water levels are expected to persist for much longer than usual, up to several months. All this extra water is really good news for a variety of wildlife species that have been hurting in the yeas past due to low water, all the way from Northern New Mexico through Texas to the Gulf of Mexico.

The extra water is also a blessing for farmers along the river valley, as well as for large cities like Albuquerque, which rely on aquifers that have become increasingly depleted.