New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, United States, was also known as ''La Flecha'' or ''Semarone''. Its headwaters are Moreno, Sixmile, and Cieneguilla creeks in the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Spanish language, Spanish for "Blood of Christ") are the southernmost mountain range, subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States. The mountai ...
, which feed into Eagle Nest Dam. From the dam, it runs for to below the city of
Springer, New Mexico
Springer is a town in Colfax County, New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corn ...
, in the Taylor Springs area, where it flows into the
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about . the southwesternmost major tributary flowing into the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
via the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...
sub-basin.
This river flows within a mountainous canyon that is part of Cimarron Canyon State Park in the lower Sangre de Cristo Mountains and runs down into eastern plains of New Mexico. This headwaters region is also home to the
Philmont Scout Ranch
Philmont Scout Ranch is a ranch located in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States, near the village of Cimarron. Donated by oil baron Waite Phillips, the ranch is owned by Scouting America. It is a high adventure base where crews of Scouts ...
.
Etymology
Cimarron was first applied to either the river or mountains in northeastern New Mexico and applied to other places in the state. The most common belief is that it was named for the
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep
''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl We ...
, called ''carnero cimarrón'' in New Mexican Spanish. In addition, ''cimarrónes'' was the name for cattle and wild horses. Another of several theories is that is named for the plant ''rosa cimarróna'', a wild rose plant that grows along the river.
However, in 1719, it was called ''La Flecha'' which means "the arrow", and may refer to the pass, Palo Flechado.
Irrigation
The Cimarron River is primarily used to convey runoff water from the Moreno Valley, to local farmers and ranchers downstream who have water rights from Eagle Nest Lake. There are several diversion points along the river in which water is moved into
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
s and ditches. The three major irrigation districts are Springer Ditch Company, Antelope valley irrigation district, and Vermejo Conservancy
District. Some irrigation water travels 50 miles downstream to locations where it is to be used.
Climate
Recreation and wildlife
State park
Cimarron Canyon State Park, located along the river, offers equestrian and hiking trails, fly-fishing, and camping. Located within the Colin Neblett Wildlife Management Area, it is near
Angel Fire, New Mexico
Angel Fire is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,192 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Angel Fire Resort is a popular skiing and snowboarding destination, with over ...
The first dozen miles of the Cimarron River (from Eagle Nest Lake to
Ute Park, New Mexico
Ute Park is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 71. It was formerly part of the Maxwell Land Grant.
Ute Park lies on U.S. Route 64 be ...
) are known for fine
trout
Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
fishing. Stocked trout include
rainbow
A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...
and
brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing and painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors Orange (colour), orange and black.
In the ...
cubic feet per second
The cubic foot (symbol ft3 or cu ft) , . is an List of rivers of New Mexico
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of New Mexico arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name. In mean flow of water per second, the San Juan River Arkansas is New Mexico's largest rive ...
*
Cimarron, New Mexico
Cimarron is a Village (United States), village in Colfax County, New Mexico, Colfax County, New Mexico, United States, which sits on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The population was 792 at the 2020 United States census, 20 ...
Taos Mountain Trail
The Taos Mountain Trail was the historic pathway for trade and business exchanges between agrarian Taos (New Mexico) and the Great Plains (Colorado) from pre-history (1100 A.D.) through the Spanish Colonial period and into the time of the European ...