Rio Puerco in New Mexico

Rio Puerco

NorthcentralwestThe picture that early Spanish explorers paint of the Rio Puerco in the 17th and early 18th centuries is one of a relatively well-vegetated area. In the few descriptions of this river that have survived, the Cottonwoods along its banks are invariably mentioned, and they were numerous enough that a legal dispute arose as to who owned the rights to their timber.

Today cottonwood trees are entirely absent from most reaches of the river. De Vargas, in 1692, named the Rio Puerco "La Torriente de los Alamos". This name again suggests that Cottonwood trees ("Alamos") were a prominent feature along the river's banks and also indicates that the Rio Puerco has flowed fast and muddy for centuries. Indeed, the Puerco was dry when De Vargas first crossed it, but upon returning his men had to hurry to ferry supplies as the river was quickly rising, presumably in response to local rainfall. Such "flashy" flows or flash floods are still common in the arid Southwest and often promote stream incision. Residents of Los Quelites (settled in 1765 near the confluence of the Rio Puerco and Rio San Jose) discovered this erosive power when a gully developed in their fields shortly after settlement. The formation of a gully in the fields of Los Quelites indicates that the main channel was incised below the surrounding valley floor at this time. Unfortunaltely, no Spanish reports have been found that provide quantitative descriptions of the shape, width, or depth of the channel of the Puerco.