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Article: US border patrols tackle flood of problems as Rio Grande runs dry
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- May 23, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2001 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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THE MIGHTY Rio Grande is not quite as mighty any more. The 2,000-
mile-long river that Spanish explorers once described as being wider
than a shot from a musket has lost so much of its strength that it
cannot make it all the way to the ocean any more. It ends its journey
not with a roar but with a whimper in the sand.
The sand bar that now separates the Rio Grande from the Gulf of
Mexico has been slowly building since February. Today, the Rio Grande
peters out 500 feet (150 metres) from the shore. It is the first time
in recorded history that the river, made famous by the John Wayne
film, has stopped short of the ocean.
Only the few tourists turning up at Boca Chica - Small Mouth - on
the ...