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Although most of the Brazos flows through wild lands, the river is heavily used for irrigation in the last 5 miles (8.0 km), with multiple acequias (irrigation ditches) drawing off water. As a result, this section of the river often shrinks to a trickle during the dry season. The
326:. For its first few miles, it flows south as a slow-moving, meandering mountain stream. East of Brazos Peak, it swings abruptly west into the Brazos Box, one of the largest canyons in New Mexico with a maximum depth of more than 1,400 feet (430 m). Here, it passes the
334:, the river emerges from the mountains, receiving Chavez Creek from the right. It passes the settlements of Ensenada, Brazos and Los Ojos before flowing into the Rio Chama about 90 miles (140 km) northwest of
330:, receives Gavilan and Encinado Creeks, and picks up an unnamed tributary which feeds Brazos Falls, reputedly New Mexico's highest waterfall with a total drop of 2,400 feet (730 m). Northeast of
322:
The river is formed by two streams, the 8.74-mile (14.07 km) West Fork and the 8.44-mile (13.58 km) East Fork, which converge at Brazos
Meadows, just outside the western boundary of the
353:, especially the upper section which is one of the largest high-meadow streams in New Mexico, most of the drainage is private property making it largely inaccessible for recreation.
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lists the water quality for the last 3.52 miles (5.66 km) of the river as "impaired", owing mainly to agricultural runoff and heavy summer water diversions.
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The Brazos is a perennial stream, reaching its highest flows in April and early May from snowmelt in the mountains, and is subject to occasional
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caused by summer thunderstorms. Although most of the river's length provides good fishing for
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442:"Assessment Data for New Mexico, Rio Chama Watershed (8 Digit USGS Cataloging Unit)"
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is a 42-mile (68 km) long river flowing through northern
448:. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2004. Archived from
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572:. University of New Mexico Press. pp. 201–202.
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495:. University of New Mexico Press. pp. 70–72.
47:Location of the mouth of Rio Brazos in New Mexico
520:. University of New Mexico Press. p. 292.
39:
609:. University of New Mexico Press. p. 82.
8:
636:. Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. 2009-05-20
412:United States Department of the Interior
665:Rivers of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
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631:"Rio Arriba County Comprehensive Plan"
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376:List of tributaries of the Rio Grande
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359:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
403:Geographic Names Information System
593:Fly Fishing in Northern New Mexico
570:Fly Fishing in Northern New Mexico
16:River in New Mexico, United States
14:
249:150 sq mi (390 km)
93:Confluence of East and West Forks
543:USGS Topo Maps for United States
38:
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548:United States Geological Survey
408:United States Geological Survey
516:Julyan, Robert Hixson (1996).
491:Julyan, Robert Hixson (2006).
190: • coordinates
112: • coordinates
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518:The Place Names of New Mexico
272:Gavilan Creek, Encinado Creek
81:Physical characteristics
446:National Assessment Database
371:List of rivers of New Mexico
233:7,287 ft (2,221 m)
229: • elevation
155:9,957 ft (3,035 m)
151: • elevation
568:Martin, Craig, ed. (2002).
493:The Mountains of New Mexico
177: • location
99: • location
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473:. Peakbagger. 2004-11-01
278: • right
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241:42 mi (68 km)
546:(Map). Cartography by
324:Carson National Forest
212:36.87500°N 106.37472°W
134:36.87500°N 106.37472°W
607:Fishing in New Mexico
315:, part of the larger
660:Rivers of New Mexico
307:, a subrange of the
217:36.87500; -106.37472
139:36.87500; -106.37472
254:Basin features
208: /
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605:Piper, Ti (1989).
309:San Juan Mountains
303:. It rises in the
105:San Juan Mountains
471:"Tusas Mountains"
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550:. ACME Mapper
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452:on 2013-04-09
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475:. Retrieved
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454:. Retrieved
450:the original
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416:. Retrieved
414:. 1980-11-13
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398:"Rio Brazos"
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343:flash floods
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259:Tributaries
215: /
203:106°22′29″W
137: /
125:106°22′29″W
654:Categories
640:2013-03-07
554:2013-03-07
477:2013-03-07
456:2013-03-07
418:2013-03-07
382:References
317:Rio Grande
297:New Mexico
293:Rio Brazos
246:Basin size
200:36°52′30″N
122:36°52′30″N
75:New Mexico
22:Rio Brazos
313:Rio Chama
170:Rio Chama
595:, p. 204
365:See also
336:Santa Fe
319:system.
56:Location
299:in the
61:Country
613:
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262:
238:Length
90:Source
634:(PDF)
347:brown
181:Near
165:Mouth
71:State
611:ISBN
574:ISBN
522:ISBN
497:ISBN
349:and
291:The
656::
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427:^
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389:^
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421:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
