Free Essay - the Rio Grande River

The Rio Grande River traces its source from the high mountains' snow in the southern-central part of Colorado. And its further flows through the Gulf of Mexico that covers both parts of Texas and New Mexico. However, it also forms the natural border between the United States and Mexico at the border with Texas. In this paper, it is worth realizing the importance of the incorporation of the research questions for the analysis of the Rio Grande River in both Colorado and Texas. The research questions are primarily used depending on the dimensions at which the paper is examining. The research questions are often considered as the hand tools for carrying out the research through the collection of accurate information for the paper. The research questions are often complemented with the research thesis for further exploration. Moreover, the strategies aforementioned are conclusively deemed to work when coupled with cultivation of the climate-oriented crops, programs for reducing water use particularly during drought, and as well as improvement of the watershed and soil resiliency (Gonzalez, 2017). Therefore, the management of the flow of the Rio Grande River is more likely to change the lives of millions living in this region. Nevertheless, the control of the river's water supply requires the incorporation of effective policies regarding the supply and demand of water in all the areas where it flows. Concerning this, there are multiple mechanisms for management. The irrigation conveyance system conservation and on-farm water conservation are crucial to the management of the Rio Grande River's water supply. However, it is required for complementing them with groundwater development and advanced water conservation, which ensures that water supply is increased

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Texas-Colorado River Earth Science

Introduction and Significances

In the United States, it is more important to recognize the contribution of water to economic development and growth. In this regard, there is a need for the consideration of the eco-system of the country. In this paper, there is a provision of the description of the river that flows through the states of Colorado and Texas. Although North America has more streams, the south part of the United States of America is known for having two rivers, namely: Colorado and Rio Grande Rivers (Armour et al., 2018). However, this implies the need for exploration of the location of the river for understanding the one that has a tremendous impact on the economy and eco-system of both Colorado and Texas.

The Rio Grande River traces its source from the high mountains' snow in the southern-central part of Colorado. And it further flows through the Gulf of Mexico that covers both parts of Texas and New Mexico. However, it also forms the natural border between the United States and Mexico at the border with Texas. Therefore, this implies that the Rio Grande River is discussed in this essay with an aim to understand the earth science of both Colorado and Texas (Archdeacon, 2016). The paper further reviews the significances of the river to the aforementioned states, and this needs to be complemented with research questions with the thesis for insight exploration. For the practical investigation, it is required for the description of the seasonal river analysis of Rio Grande (Thibault et al., 2017). Thus, this implies the reflection of the implications of management of Rio Grande River, and its impacts on human life in both Colorado and Texas, and North America in general.

It is, nevertheless, more critical for the provision of the geographical and geological structure of Rio Grande River. The river is deemed to be probably the fourth largest in the United States. About 2,000 miles as the length of the river from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico, it flows through the Rio Grande Valley, and it further extends to the Gulf of Mexico (Archdeacon, 2016). Thus, this reflects the contribution of the river in the survival of the habitat of the areas, growth of agricultural activities, and as well as water supply to the population. The river's basin is primarily composed of the semiarid or arid, and it is asserted that the half of the entire area cover by the river is deemed to contribute to the river's water flow (Thibault et al., 2017). However, it is essential for consideration of the spilling of the snows from the San Juan Mountains that are located in the southwestern part of Colorado. On another hand, the Cornucopia geologic had been exposed to the volcanic eruption over many millions of years. It involved the supervolcano of Jemez, Pleistocene lake extinct, active faults, and as well as rocky mountains' rocks (Armour et al., 2018). The description of the geographical and geological structure of the Rio Grande River is critical for the depth insight of the river flows.

Research Questions and Thesis

In this paper, it is worth realizing the importance of the incorporation of the research questions for the analysis of the Rio Grande River in both Colorado and Texas. The research questions are primarily used depending on the dimensions at which the paper is examining. The research questions are often considered as the hand tools for carrying out the research through the collection of accurate information for the paper. The research questions are often complemented with the research thesis for further exploration. It examines the climate system of Colorado and Texas concerning the existence of the Rio Grande River in the United States. Despite the fact, the research questions provide insight into the core focus of the paper, and it further influences the steps to be taken in the entire research. Therefore, it acts as guidance for the researchers, particularly on the topic that needs to be discussed and analyzed.

• What is the river that is located in both Colorado and Texas?
• How are the climate of Texas and Colorado related to the nature of the Rio Grande River?
• How Rio Grande River affects the earth science of Colorado-Texas and their environs?

Seasonal River Analysis

The southwestern part of the United States is commonly known for being dry and hottest region. Therefore, this implies the scarcity of water supply for the population, habitats, and as well as agricultural activities. The climate of the area had critically defined the region's settlement of the people, economy, and the landscape (Armour et al., 2018). The seasonal discharge of Rio Grande River helps to provide the depth insight of the geophysical of the southwestern part of the United States. Furthermore, there are three states of the United States where the river flows through, and they include Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. It also flows through four major cities where it flows through, and they include Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Albuquerque of New Mexico (Thibault et al., 2017). It also extends through Del Rio, El Paso, Brownsville, and Laredo of Texas. Where it forms the border with Mexico, it flows through Ciudad in Mexico. Therefore, the exploration of those areas where it passes through provides clarity for the seasonal discharge of the river.

Due to the regional climate, the Rio Grande River is highly used before reaching its destination at Lake Cabeza de Vaca in Mexico. The river is sourced from the rocky mountain of San capped with snows, and it is commonly known as Juan Mountains in the southwestern of Colorado (Swartz et al., 2017). The water from the Rio Grande is supplied into the population of approximately 56 million, and it further covers a land of nearly 2 million acres in both the United States and Mexico. Therefore, this indicates the discharge of the river in the three states of the United States, and as well as four states of the Republic of Mexico. In this region, the Rio Grande River is commonly used for various purposes, including industrial, agricultural, municipal, environmental, recreational, and as well as domestic (Thibault et al., 2017). With the highest percentage reserved for farming purposes, particularly in the valley of San Luis in Colorado, the remaining water is used for the activities mentioned above. Thus, this makes the flow of the river more insufficient for meeting the demand for water in all the areas aforementioned (Armour et al., 2018). And in addition, the most substantial part where the river flows is dry and hot, hence implying a high demand for water. It is coupled with the demand for energy production, domestic water, recreational, and others. It reflects the geophysical reason for the discharge of the Rio Grande River and reduced flow over the years.

Management Implications and Human Impacts

It is quite clear that the management of the Rio Grande River is more likely to help to solve the problem of water scarcity. Even though the region is dry and hot, it is still possible for the management to bring positive results to the pattern of the river's discharge (Swartz et al., 2017). Concerning this, there are multiple mechanisms for management. The irrigation conveyance system conservation and on-farm water conservation are crucial to the management of the Rio Grande River's water supply. However, it is required for complementing them with groundwater development and advanced water conservation, which ensures that water supply is increased (Gonzalez, 2017). It is through these mechanisms that the river's flow can be easily managed for bringing positive results to the agricultural activities, domestic, recreational, and industrial operations.

Moreover, the strategies aforementioned are conclusively deemed to work when coupled with cultivation of the climate-oriented crops, programs for reducing water use particularly during drought, and as well as improvement of the watershed and soil resiliency (Gonzalez, 2017). Therefore, the management of the flow of the Rio Grande River is more likely to change the lives of millions living in this region. Nevertheless, the control of the river's water supply requires the incorporation of effective policies regarding the supply and demand of water in all the areas where it flows. In this regard, there is the need for consideration of the policies that are applicable in both the United States and Mexico. It further increases the economic growth and development through the increase of production in the agricultural and industrial activities (Swartz et al., 2017). The management does not only change the financial status, but it also brings positive results to the climate and the flow of rivers across the region.

References

Archdeacon, T. P. (2016). Reduction in spring flow threatens Rio Grande Silvery Minnow: trends in abundance during river intermittency. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 145(4), 754-765.

This article primarily focuses on the mechanisms essential for the protection of the river through the reduction of the factors posing a threat to the flow of the river. It also provides the description of the approaches necessary for the preservation of the river as it continues to flow throughout the states and countries.

Armour, L. K., Langford, R. P., & Ricketts, J. W. (2018). Pliocene-Holocene deformation in the southern Rio Grande rift as inferred from topography and uplifted terraces of the Franklin Mountains, southern New Mexico and western Texas. Geosphere, 14(4), 1677-1689.

In this article, there is the provision of the geographical explanation of the location of the river, and the diversity of geography in different areas where it flows through. Thus, this provides an in-depth understanding of the factors leading to the discharge and flow of the river from Colorado to New Mexico and Texas. Eventually, it reaches the border with the Republic of Mexico.