How much of the Rio Grande is navigable?

Navigation. Although the river's greatest depth is 60 feet (18 m), the Rio Grande generally cannot be navigated by passenger riverboats or by cargo barges. Navigation is only possible near the mouth of the river, in rare circumstances up to Laredo, Texas.



Very little of the Rio Grande is navigable for commercial or large-scale vessel traffic. While the river is one of the longest in North America, its water levels are highly inconsistent due to heavy irrigation demands and frequent droughts. The only truly navigable portion for commercial ships is the very end of the river near its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico, particularly the area around Brownsville and Boca Chica, Texas. Even there, navigation is limited to shallow-draft vessels and is subject to constant silting. For the vast majority of its 1,896-mile length, the Rio Grande is more of a "stream" than a river, often becoming so shallow in places like El Paso or the Big Bend region that it can be crossed on foot. While it is popular for recreational kayaking and rafting in specific "canyon" sections during high-water seasons, it has never served as a major commercial waterway like the Mississippi or the Hudson.

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After passing through the port of entry visitors are ferried across the Rio Grande on a small rowboat for a modest fee ($5 round-trip). Walking across the river is permitted only at the Boquillas Crossing, but is not recommended if the river level is high.

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According to Article 2 of the Water Treaty, the jurisdiction of the IBWC extends to the border sections of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) and the Colorado River, the land boundary between the United States and Mexico, and works located upon their common boundary.

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A 196-mile strip of land on the American side of the Rio Grande in the Chihuahuan Desert protects the river. The Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River is managed as a unit of the national park system by Big Bend National Park.

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The Rio Grande in the United States or the Río Bravo in Mexico is one of the principal rivers in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio Grande is 1,896 miles, making it the 4th longest river in the United States and in North America by main stem.

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In south-central Colorado, the Rio Grande, its tributaries and the water flowing underground supports communities across the San Luis Valley, an 8,000 square-mile high elevation desert that sees less than seven inches of precipitation per year.

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The bodies of two migrants were recovered from the Rio Grande separating the US and Mexico this week, including a three-year-old child.

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?The Rio Grande, or Rio Bravo as it is known in Mexico, extends approximately 1,990 miles and is considered the 5th longest river in North America, and the 20th longest river in the world.

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The name Río Grande means great river in Spanish. The source of the Río Grande is in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. It flows through the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico, and Texas, and forms the border between Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas.

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Several major drainages feed into the Rio Grande. Predominant surface water features that feed into the Rio Grande above the Otowi gage, in the Upper Rio Grande are the Red River, Rio Hondo, Pueblo de Taos, Santa Barbara, Embudo Creek, and the Rio Chama.

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Key Facts & Information
  • The Rio Grande is the fifth longest river in North America (1,900 miles).
  • It forms a border between Texas and Mexico.
  • The Rio Grande begins in the Rocky Mountains and flows into the Gulf of Mexico in the south.
  • The watershed of the Rio Grande is approximately 335,000 square miles.


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