The Rio Pueblo de Taos, also known as Rio Pueblo, is a stream in
Taos County
Taos County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,489. Its county seat is Taos. The county was formed in 1852 as one of the original nine counties in New Mexico Territory.
Taos County compri ...
,
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, that a
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...
. From its source 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 ...
it flows about ,
[Calculated in ]Google Earth
Google Earth is a web mapping, web and computer program created by Google that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satelli ...
generally south and west, to join the Rio Grande in the
Rio Grande Gorge. On the way the river passes by
Taos
Taos or TAOS may refer to:
Places
* Taos County, New Mexico, United States
** Taos, New Mexico, a city, the county seat of Taos County, New Mexico
*** Taos art colony, an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico
** Taos Pueblo, a Native American ...
and through
Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos language, Taos-speaking (Tiwa languages, Tiwa) Native American tribe of Puebloan peoples, Puebloan people. It lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico. T ...
.
[General course info from USGS topographic maps]
Course
The Rio Pueblo de Taos originates at Blue Lake, about southeast of
Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in New Mexico. Several headwater tributaries drain the south and east slopes of Old Mike Peak, Lew Wallace Peak, and Red Dome. The river flows south for about , then turns west. It is joined by La Junta Creek from the south, then Buffalo Grass Creek from the north. After flowing west for about , and just downstream from the mouths of Frijoles Canyon on the north and Palo Encebado Canyon on the south, the Rio Pueblo de Taos abruptly leaves the mountains. Within a mile the river passes through the center of Taos Pueblo, then turns to flow southwest to the Rio Grande, passing just north of the town of Taos. The river's entire upper course in the mountains is within the Pueblo de Taos Indian Reservation.
[
Near Taos the Rio Lucero joins the Rio Pueblo de Taos from the north, after which the river flows by the historic Martinez Hacienda. Shortly below that the Rio Fernando de Taos joins from the south, after which the Rio Pueblo de Taos enters Taos Canyon. It is joined by Rio Grande del Rancho, which flows from the south through ]Ranchos de Taos
Ranchos de Taos is a census-designated place (CDP) in Taos County, New Mexico United States. The population was 2,707 at the time of the 2020 census.
The historic district is the Ranchos de Taos Plaza, which includes the San Francisco de Asi ...
, Arroyo Seco, from the north, then Arroyo del Alamo, from the south, after which it reaches the Rio Grande in the Rio Grande Gorge a few miles south of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, locally known as the "Gorge Bridge" or the "High Bridge", is a steel deck arch bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge northwest of Taos, New Mexico, United States. Roughly above the Rio Grande, it is the List of bridge ...
.[ New Mexico State Road 567 crosses the Rio Grande via the Taos Junction Bridge just below its confluence with the Rio Pueblo de Taos.]
Names
In addition to Rio Pueblo de Taos and Rio Pueblo, the stream has been known by various other names, including Rio Taos, Taos Creek, Pueblo Creek, Ialap'aijpaana, Ja'lapa, Kipawai, T'awi'impo, and T'awipo.
See also
* 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 ...
* List of tributaries of the Rio Grande
Tributary, Tributaries and sub-tributaries are hierarchically listed in order from the mouth of the Rio Grande upstream. Major dams and reservoir lakes are also noted.
* San Juan River (Tamaulipas), San Juan River, or Rio San Juan (Tamaulipas, Nue ...
References
External links
Rio Pueblo de Taos
New Mexico Whitewater
{{authority control
Tributaries of the Rio Grande
Rivers of New Mexico
Rivers of Taos County, New Mexico
Taos Pueblo