Moments of Enchantment; 136; Rio Grande Gorge

Moments of Enchantment, brought to you by the New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs and 770 K -O -B Radio. More than a million years ago, the forces of nature were at work carving and molding what is one of New Mexico's most dramatic landscapes, the Rio Grande Gorge, more in a moment. The Rio Grande Gorge, downcutting through layer upon layer of basalt, is a spectacular example of the Earth's dynamic state. Researchers doubt whether the Rio Grande itself flowed through the volcanic layers of the Gorge area. Evidence shows that at first, only small streams moved across the land, but as the decades passed, the big Rio gathered momentum and began its journey to the sea, chiseling and tearing away sediments and lava, opening the Earth, clearing the path. Today, the 600 -foot deep gorge is 2 -4 miles wide, running 70 miles north to south. More than half of the chasm is dedicated to the wild and scenic river system, under authority of the Federal Bureau of Land Management. Below the Tios Junction

Bridge, and downriver to Pilar, is the Rio Grande Gorge State Park, with both developed and primitive camping areas. River runners find the Rio area below Pilar, called the Tios Box, exhilarating during the heavy spring runoff. During this season, thousands of people take the challenging run. In its entirety, the Rio Grande Gorge presents opportunities for research, recreation and tranquility. But despite man's presence, it'll continue to be part of an unending chain of geologic modifications, shaping our living planet and the landscape of our state. To learn more about New Mexico's physical development, visit the Museum of Natural History in Albuquerque. Moments of Enchantment brought to you by the New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs. For Moments of Enchantment, I'm David Griffin.