Rio Chama (Rio Grande)
| Chama River | |
 An early Spring rafting trip down the Rio Chama in New Mexico
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| Country | United States |
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| States | New Mexico, Colorado |
| Counties | Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, Archuleta County, Colorado, Conejos County, Colorado |
| Source | Confluence of West Fork and East Fork |
| - location | San Juan Mountains, Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado |
| - elevation | 9,320 ft (2,841 m) |
| - coordinates | 37°5′29″N 106°33′3″W / 37.09139°N 106.55083°W |
| Mouth | Rio Grande |
| - location | San Juan Indian Reservation, New Mexico |
| - elevation | 5,620 ft (1,713 m) |
| - coordinates | 36°2′32″N 106°5′16″W / 36.04222°N 106.08778°WCoordinates: 36°2′32″N 106°5′16″W / 36.04222°N 106.08778°W |
| Length | 130 mi (209 km) |
| Basin | 3,144 sq mi (8,143 km2) |
| Discharge | for USGS gage 08290000, 2.8 miles above mouth |
| - average | 571 cu ft/s (16.17 m3/s) |
| - max | 15,000 cu ft/s (424.75 m3/s) |
| - min | 1.2 cu ft/s (0.03 m3/s) |
 Map the Rio Chama within New Mexico, showing reservoirs and "wild and scenic" stretch
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 Map of the Rio Grande watershed, showing the Rio Chama joining the Rio Grande near Santa Fe.
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The Chama River, a major tributary river of the Rio Grande, is located in the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico. The river is about 130 miles (210 km) long altogether. From its source to El Vado Dam its length is about 50 miles (80 km), from El Vado Dam to Abiquiu Dam is about 51 miles (82 km), and from Abiquiu Dam to the mouth of the Rio Grande is about 34 miles (55 km).
The name "Chama" is a shortened version of the Tewa term [tsąmą' ǫŋwįkeyi], meaning "wrestling pueblo-ruin".
The Rio Chama originates in south-central Colorado, just above the New Mexico border in the San Juan Mountains and Rio Grande National Forest. The main stem Rio Chama begins at the confluence of two short headwater tributaries called West Fork and East Fork. The West Fork flows eastward from the Continental Divide. Across the divide lies the Navajo River, one of the headwater tributaries of the Colorado River. The East Fork extends a few miles into Conejos County, Colorado to a source near one of the headwater tributaries of the Conejos River. The confluence of the forks lies just within Archuleta County, Colorado. From there the Rio Chama flows generally south. After a few miles the river enters Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, and flows by the town of Chama. The tributary Willow Creek joins the Rio Chama after being impounded as Heron Lake by Heron Dam. Willow Creek flows from the dam about 1,000 feet (300 m) to the Rio Chama. A couple miles below that the Rio Chama flows into El Vado Lake, a reservoir created by El Vado Dam.
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Wikipedia