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What the Rio Grande’s More Frequent Dry-Outs Mean for the Region’s Animals and Ecosystems
The stretch of the river through Albuquerque has run dry twice since 2022, after not doing so for decades, impacting all forms of life that depend on its flows.
By Tina Deines
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—On a late July morning, a snapping turtle, about 18 inches in length, sat solemnly in a dry riverbed where the Rio Grande normally flows here. The aquatic reptile was one of few signs of life on a river that’s usually buzzing with various species of fish, ducks, insects and other animals.