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that is only suitable for expert whitewater kayakers. The rest of this run can be made by canoeists and kayakers with at least strong intermediate level whitewater skills on Class I to III water that drops through deep canyons on its way to the lake. Below El Vado Lake the river is a Class II to III run for almost anybody with intermediate or higher level whitewater skills. After passing through
Abiquiu Lake, the river passes through private land; ask permission before fishing or boating.
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44:
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The walls in Chama Canyon rise some 1,500 feet (460 m) above the river. The canyon rim and sloping uplands are "frequently punctuated by steep sandstone and shale outcroppings. Inside the canyon is a plethora of geological wonders including high, steep canyon walls and escarpments consisting of
608:
The upper river is characterized by huge boulders that create difficult holes, sizeable drops and hidden/sunken driftwood that test experienced whitewater boaters. The first 6-7.5 miles (12.1 km) of this reach above El Vado Lake in New Mexico is a Class IV to VI whitewater run of great intensity
699:
and numerous shrubs that are indigenous to north-central New Mexico. It is teeming with a variety of wildlife including cougars, black bears, elk, mule deer, badgers, bobcats, coyotes, beavers, raccoons, ducks, dippers, spotted sandpipers, Canada geese, turkey, golden eagles, bald eagles, falcons,
620:
The Rio Chama and its tributaries offer excellent fly fishing for trout. Ten miles of the Rio Chama, above the mouth of Wolf Creek (4 miles (6.4 km) below the New Mexico border) is private land requiring land owner's permission to fish the Rio Chama and Wolf Creek. The Rio Chama at this point
700:
hawks, owls, turkey vultures, brown and rainbow trout, flathead chub, flathead minnows, white suckers, carp, channel catfish, black crappie, longnose dace, and other species of mammals, birds and fish. Various species of rattlesnakes are found in the adjacent mountain valleys and canyons.
621:
holds wild browns with cutthroats in Wolf Creek and rainbows in both streams. The Rio
Chamita flows into the Rio Chama, 9 miles (14 km) below the Wolf Creek confluence with the Rio Chama. Access to the Rio Chamita is from a dirt road one and a half miles north of the town of
582:
The Rio Chama has been used by humans for nearly 10,000 years, dating from the time when camels and
Columbian mammoths roamed the southwestern United States. In 1988, the 24.6-mile (39.6 km) section known as Chama Canyon was designated as a
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rock slides, ledges, pinnacles and ridges. The bedrock of Chama Canyon is shale, basalt, tuft, sandstone, granite, quartzite and other types of rocks, some of which formed about 110 million years ago."
554:, located at the mouth of Abiquiu Creek, after which it turns to flow generally southeast. Near the villages of Chili and La Chuachia the Rio Chama is joined by two of its primary tributaries. The
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The popular section for most paddlers is the 31.1 miles (50.1 km) from El Vado Ranch down through Chama Canyon and Chavez Canyon to the Big Eddy access above
Abiquiu Reservoir near US 84.
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North of Chama on NM 17 there is good trout fly fishing. There are special regulations on this stretch of the Rio Chama. Fifteen miles south of Chama on US 64/84 is the confluence of the
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and El Vado
Reservoir. The Rio Chama, is very wide at this point, with large runs, pools, and large boulders that create excellent fishing opportunities for rainbow and wild brown trout.
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496:. From there the Rio Chama flows generally south. After a few miles the river enters Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, and flows by the town of
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with the Rio Chama. Most of this run of the Rio Chama is on private land, except for a 4-mile (6.4 km)-long stretch south of Chama.
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508:. Willow Creek flows from the dam about 1,000 feet (300 m) to the Rio Chama. A couple miles below that the Rio Chama flows into
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Below its confluence with the Rio Brazos, the Rio Chama offers several miles of excellent fly fishing to the tailwaters of
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is about 51 miles (82 km), and from
Abiquiu Dam to its confluence with the Rio Grande is about 34 miles (55 km).
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joins from the northeast. From there the Rio Chama flows several miles southeast to join the Rio Grande near
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792:"Water resources data for the United States, Water Year 2009; gage 08290000, Rio Chama near Chamita, NM"
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The Rio Chama originates in south-central
Colorado, just above the New Mexico border in the
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Map of the Rio Chama within New Mexico, showing reservoirs and "wild and scenic" stretch
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From El Vado Dam the Rio Chama continues flowing south, entering Chama Canyon and
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Rio Chama passes through the canyon on the southern end of Heron Lake State Park.
408:. The river is about 130 miles (210 km) long altogether. From its source to
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Rio Chama begins at the confluence of two short headwater tributaries called
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Below
Abiquiu Dam the Rio Chama flows generally east, skirting the edge of
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500:. The tributary Willow Creek joins the Rio Chama after being impounded as
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138:
76:
920:
U.S. Geological Survey
Geographic Names Information System: Rio Gallina
909:
U.S. Geological Survey
Geographic Names Information System: Rio Cebolla
672:
748:
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rio Chama
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its length is about 50 miles (80 km), from El Vado Dam to
599:
An early spring rafting trip down the Rio Chama in New Mexico
761:
7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1957 (1974 rev.)
488:
to a source near one of the headwater tributaries of the
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joins from the west then, within less than a mile, the
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527:. It is joined by Rio Cebolla from the east, then
570:and approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of
441:The Rio Chama viewed from US highway 84 between
424:
825:Native American placenames of the United States
492:. The confluence of the forks lies just within
419:The name "Chama" is a shortened version of the
899:General course info from USGS topographic maps
8:
828:. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 87.
659:The Chama Valley is home to dense stands of
1007:Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States
480:, one of the headwater tributaries of the
16:River of Colorado and New Mexico in the US
484:. The East Fork extends a few miles into
769:
767:
472:. The West Fork flows eastward from the
987:Rivers of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
735:
720:List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers
341:15,000 cu ft/s (420 m/s)
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893:
891:
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331:1.2 cu ft/s (0.034 m/s)
18:
786:
784:
782:
725:List of tributaries of the Rio Grande
543:joins the Rio Chama in Abiquiu Lake.
531:from the west. Then the river enters
369:
361:
352:
321:571 cu ft/s (16.2 m/s)
286:3,144 sq mi (8,140 km)
7:
1012:Rivers of Archuleta County, Colorado
311:gage 08290000, 2.8 miles above mouth
429:, meaning "wrestling pueblo-ruin".
687:. The riparian area also includes
14:
392:, a major tributary river of the
962:
42:
27:
1017:Old Spanish Trail (trade route)
855:The namesake pueblo ruin is at
585:National Wild and Scenic River
356:National Wild and Scenic River
227: • coordinates
146: • coordinates
1:
1002:Tributaries of the Rio Grande
525:Chama River Canyon Wilderness
476:. Across the divide lies the
101:Physical characteristics
87:Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
270:5,620 ft (1,710 m)
266: • elevation
189:9,440 ft (2,880 m)
185: • elevation
535:, the reservoir created by
304: • location
216:San Juan Indian Reservation
211: • location
126: • location
1033:
874:36.1953174°N 106.2145758°W
710:List of rivers in Colorado
550:. It flows by the town of
494:Archuleta County, Colorado
458:Rio Grande National Forest
337: • maximum
327: • minimum
317: • average
135:Rio Grande National Forest
91:Archuleta County, Colorado
715:List of New Mexico rivers
512:, a reservoir created by
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278:130 mi (210 km)
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969:Chama River (Rio Grande)
879:36.1953174; -106.2145758
521:Santa Fe National Forest
486:Conejos County, Colorado
95:Conejos County, Colorado
941:"Rio Chama, New Mexico"
425:
943:. Southwestpaddler.com
652:
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587:by the U.S. Congress.
548:Carson National Forest
449:
249:36.04222°N 106.08778°W
168:37.09333°N 106.55167°W
971:at Wikimedia Commons
759:Chama Peak, Colorado,
650:
598:
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997:Rivers of New Mexico
396:, is located in the
254:36.04222; -106.08778
173:37.09333; -106.55167
870: /
443:Abiquiú, New Mexico
245: /
164: /
35:Abiquiú, New Mexico
33:The Rio Chama near
992:Rivers of Colorado
653:
604:Whitewater boating
601:
474:Continental Divide
454:San Juan Mountains
450:
131:San Juan Mountains
967:Media related to
835:978-0-8061-3598-4
677:mountain mahogany
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539:. The tributary
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374:November 7, 1988
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945:. Retrieved
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839:. Retrieved
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802:. Retrieved
775:Google Earth
758:
754:
685:serviceberry
658:
654:
643:Chama Canyon
634:
627:
619:
611:
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581:
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533:Abiquiu Lake
518:
510:El Vado Lake
478:Navajo River
451:
418:
389:
387:
366:Wild, Scenic
877: /
865:106°12′52″W
695:, willows,
689:cottonwoods
665:douglas-fir
556:Rio del Oso
537:Abiquiu Dam
529:Rio Gallina
514:El Vado Dam
447:Abiquiu Dam
414:Abiquiu Dam
410:El Vado Dam
398:U.S. states
252: /
171: /
159:106°33′06″W
981:Categories
947:2012-02-23
862:36°11′43″N
731:References
681:gambel oak
637:Heron Lake
630:Rio Brazos
591:Recreation
541:Rio Puerco
502:Heron Lake
406:New Mexico
394:Rio Grande
371:Designated
283:Basin size
240:106°5′16″W
220:New Mexico
204:Rio Grande
156:37°05′36″N
73:New Mexico
697:hackberry
693:box elder
506:Heron Dam
470:East Fork
466:West Fork
462:main stem
390:Rio Chama
295:Discharge
237:36°2′32″N
119:East Fork
115:West Fork
22:Rio Chama
841:11 April
822:(2004).
704:See also
572:Santa Fe
568:Española
523:and the
402:Colorado
139:Colorado
83:Counties
77:Colorado
54:Location
804:21 July
673:juniper
616:Fishing
578:History
552:Abiquiú
59:Country
832:
683:, and
669:pinyon
460:. The
445:, and
433:Course
298:
275:Length
110:Source
795:(PDF)
623:Chama
498:Chama
423:term
199:Mouth
69:State
843:2011
830:ISBN
806:2010
799:USGS
468:and
456:and
421:Tewa
404:and
388:The
363:Type
309:USGS
117:and
504:by
400:of
983::
926:^
890:^
797:.
781:^
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691:,
679:,
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663:,
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93:,
89:,
75:,
950:.
845:.
808:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
