El Paso Rio Bosque

El Paso Rio Bosque
By IndioRaven

Hello again it’s been a few months since my last Blog, I been busy for the last few month in Fall I spend most of my time dedicated to my Studies at Easter New Mexico University and doing some work at home on the yard. In December and January I spend my days digging out old tree trunks and pruning trees which resulted in lots of fire wood that I shared with Family and Friends. (Photos to be posted on a future update.)

This update will be a photogenic one, as I will share with a little bicycle ride I took on Sunday February 13, 2011 that lead me to The El Paso Rio Bosque Wetland park. These wetlands have always been there but like many other natural sites it had been abused and has not been well taken care of up until recent years. I like many people who live in the area had never been there before. I have know of this place for years but never got around to going there because I recall the park was gated up a long time ago and recently rediscover the park was once again open and made accessible to the public.

I have also tried to locate information via the internet and Google about the park as most of you will be able to do if you are interested and have time. I usually don’t endorse any web-pages unless I feel strong about them, so I will not post a bunch of links on here, however I will share a few that I found, one is from UTEP which is one of those entities that is doing their best to preserve the park and provide education for the public. (See links below)

Fist entrance I found, Trial here will lead you around the park, One will take to the Visitors center and another on will take you to a stream with water.

I was not sure what to expect because it has been a very dry summer, fall and winter even though we had freezing temps and traces of snow a few weeks ago, we are still under draught conditions. I knew the trees and other plants would be dormant and I was not sure how much water would be at the wetlands because many years ago the river had shifted. The government has also had their hands on the river bead and levees have been changed. There is now a border fence to consider that changed the accrual wetlands geography.


The photos I took are not the best quality of photos, but I am sure if you search the internet you will find some real good and unique photos of the different wild life that can be seen at the park throughout the year. Keep in mind that I was there in the middle of winter so there were no green plants that I could see. Also most wildlife will not let you take their photos. There is an old Native American Saying that any wild animal will come to you when they want you to see them, this said when you going hunting as well. Although the birds and other wildlife were there only a few came out to greet me, and a few Hawks kept their distances, but it appeared that they were keeping an eye on me.

This trail is called tornillo bean trail (I think) because its goes through some mesquite trees that produce beans pots that look like screws. Here I was a Jack Rabbit, and I also followed a Roadrunner.

Another trail led me to the border fence the Rio Grande is just a few feet away, too bad the fence is there wild life had a hard time getting to the river for water and fish.

I had a hard time taking this photo of a White-tailed Kites Hawk, he did not want to be photographed kept hiding behind the branch. This guy was one of those who kept a close eye on me and kept jumping from branch to branch on this tree.

Visitor’s Center looks likes a ghost town here nobody working here for a while. By the way I had to clear one of the trials just to get to center.

Visters Center form the top of the Canale at one there was chain link all round the park.  

Main Entrance to the Park

Finally I found water a small stream as I followed it lead to the boarder fence, but the water is being pumped underground it's not water runoff from rain. Not sure if it’s from the river itself or just underground water all I saw were the pipes.

 Back ground on Rio Bosque Wetlands:

The Rio Bosque Wetlands Park is about 372 acres in El Paso County. “Wetlands and riverside forests once graced the banks of the Rio Grande in the Paso del Norte region. They were the most productive natural habitats in the region, but today they are virtually gone” (UTEP, http://research.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=65792) The park is actually located in the town of Socorro Taxes southeast of down town El Paso, access to the park is vary restricted and difficult if you are not given specific instructions. Since I was on my bicycle I had to find an easy way to get there without having to go to a major freeway and some busy road. I took the rout of the El Paso Mission Valley in Socorro where I found some side roads that lead to the Bosque after my visit I discover an easy and fast way to access the park via a bicycle or on foot, it’s just short walk from Cougar Park in Socorro. I plan to revisit that park again in the spring, summer, and fall or this year, hopefully I will be able to take better photos that show the park’s beauty when it’s green and has more water.

Links:
http://research.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=67383

I’m including the fallowing link as a guide to the Mission Trail
http://www.elpasomissiontrail.com/

I will try and update this blog monthly. Take care, thank you for your time.