New Mexico Rivers
Open a river for its map, facts and the lakes on it.
Rio Grande
Begins in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, crosses the San Luis Valley and cuts the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos, passes Albuquerque and Las Cruces, then forms the Texas–Mexico border from El Paso to the Gulf. Heavy diversions reduce its flow.
926 milesPecos River
From high mountain headwaters near Pecos, the river flows south through eastern New Mexico past Santa Rosa, Fort Sumner and Carlsbad, then into west Texas through Red Bluff Reservoir to the Rio Grande.
383 milesSan Juan River
Leaves the San Juan Mountains past Pagosa Springs into Navajo Lake, then crosses northern New Mexico through Farmington and Shiprock before winding through deep Utah canyons near Bluff and Mexican Hat into Lake Powell.
1,026 milesCanadian River
The Canadian is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River. It starts in Colorado and runs through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma.
649 milesGila River
From the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico the river runs west past Safford, through San Carlos Lake, skirts the south side of metro Phoenix, and crosses the desert past Gila Bend to the Colorado at Yuma.
about 130 milesRio Chama
The Chama drops south from Colorado past the town of Chama, through Heron and El Vado lakes and Chama Canyon, into Abiquiu Lake, then turns southeast past Abiquiu to the Rio Grande.
126 milesAnimas River
Descends from old mining country past Silverton, through Animas Canyon alongside the narrow-gauge railroad to Durango, then runs south into New Mexico past Aztec to meet the San Juan at Farmington.