The Shrinking Rio Grande River’s Battle For Survival In Texas

It's no secret that many parts of Texas have been experiencing drought conditions for quite some time. Even with the occasional moisture, our state needs water. We have lakes that have seen historic lows in recent history, and one in the panhandle that is still absolutely dry. Even the Rio Grande is struggling in places.

Is The Rio Grande Shrinking: It's Hard To Float A River Without Water

A recent New York Times article recounted the writer's trip to Big Bend National Park to take a canoe out on the Rio Grande. Unfortunately, they weren't able to. Come to find out, it's tough to paddle a canoe in a river that has little to no water. They wound up having to go to another section of the Rio Grande.

This is one of the most obvious signs that the Rio Grande is having a little bit of a struggle. Many of us have seen the photos and videos of people on kayaks and canoes floating through canyons along the Rio Grande. It doesn't seem like we'll see many of those photos now.

The Outlook For The Rio Grande Isn't Good

Multiple articles have been written on the subject and the culprit changes depending on who you ask. The one thing everyone seems to agree on is the fact that the Rio Grande could be in some real trouble in places.

Some reports put it simply; the Rio Grande is a shrinking river system. Reasons range from the multiple droughts our state has experienced, to irresponsible irrigation habits. Even global warming gets brought up.

One thing is for certain, something has got to give if we want to keep our lakes and rivers how we like them; full and ready to float.