Rio Grande — A River of Life
From its pristine headwaters, approximately
fifty miles west of Creede, the Rio Grande
travels 1,885-miles through three states
on its journey to the Gulf of Mexico.
The mighty Rio Grande humbly begins as a trickle in the high alpine San Juan Mountains. From there, it slowly grows into a mighty torrent, carving its way through canyons of rock and open agricultural landscapes. For hundreds of years it has played an important role for wildlife, travelers, settlers, and neighboring communities — turning this alpine valley into a lush and fertile agricultural area.
Water — the building block of life on earth, supports nature and civilization.
The Rio Grande is the lifeblood of southern Colorado, New Mexico, and west Texas. Between Creede, Colorado, and El Paso, Texas, over ninety percent of the water is used for irrigation and five percent is used for community drinking water.
The Rio Grande is the third longest river in North America and is surpassed in length only by the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. For more than half its length, the Rio Grande forms the international boundary between the United States and Mexico.
[Top left caption reads]
Hand-tinted, antique postcard of the "upper" Rio Grande near Wagon
this page online
[Remaining photos are informational]
Erected by US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Silver Thread Scenic and Historic Byway.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Environment • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 37° 40.154′ N, 106° 38.502′ W. Marker is in South Fork, Colorado, in Rio Grande County. Marker is near the entrance to the South Fork Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 28 Silver Thread Lane, South Fork CO 81154, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 16 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. A Passport Through Time (a few steps from this marker); Living on the Byway (a few steps from this marker); Watchable Wildlife (a few steps from this marker); Continental Divide Trail (approx. 15.6 miles away); The Great Divide (approx. 15.6 miles away); History of a Road (approx. 15.6 miles away).
Also see . . .
1. About the Rio Grande National Forest. U.S. Forest Service website entry (Submitted on November 21, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Rio Grande. American Rivers website entry (Submitted on November 21, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 138 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 21, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
