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Big Bend National Park ~ Vol 2


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Big Bend NP

Riparian ecosystems : green fingers of dense vegetation stand out against the sparse greenish brown-yellow-red-orange vegetation of the desert.

The Rio Grande is no longer that. Some but very little moving water graces it channel. The Mexicans who lay claim to its tributary waters upstream recognize it not as the Rio Grande but as the Rio Bravo.

6Y9A9313 6Y9A9340Big Bend refers to the great southwest Texas U-turn the Rio Grande makes here – defining the Park boundary, the State of Texas, and the Mexican-US boundary for 118 miles. The river is an arcing linear oasis, a ribbon of green that cuts across the dry desert and carves deep canyons. Like all rivers surviving desert passages, it has its headwaters outside this desert, in Colorado. Irrigation, dams, agriculture, manufacturing, exotic plants and evaporation sap most of the Rio Grande’s water before it gets to the Park. In the Park the river’s water mostly comes from Mexico’s Rio Conchos. 6Y9A9358 6Y9A9364 6Y9A9374

The images above were captured at the mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon on the border in the western portion of the Park.6Y9A9560

Sunrise capture looking East into and towards the Sierra del Carmen and Boquillas Canyon in the eastern portion of the Park.6Y9A9776

The river creates an oasis for species not adapted to arid desert life, adding to the Park’s biological diversity. Its thin flood plain looks like a green belt in the desert. River sand and gravel bars and cliff banks host creatures not expected in the Chihuahian Desert. 6Y9A9791 6Y9A9802Sunset captures looking west over the Rio Grande from outside Boquillas Canyon towards the Chisos Mountain Range.

Expanded Big Bend NP Image Gallery

Big Bend National Park – Vol 1

Big Bend National Park – Vol3

Big Bend NP Brochure, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Posted by bigdawg on April 4, 2014
2 Comments Post a comment
  1. 04/9/2014
    mark cromwell

    Steve, great stuff. Enjoyed your blog and your terrific pics. Your eye is exceptional taking right into the landscapes and your bs even better! I am going to enjoy perusing your images!

    Reply
    • 04/9/2014
      bigdawg

      Thank You My Friend ~ Appreciate It 😉

      Reply

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