El Bosque / The Bosque

The Bosque is the cottonwood forest that lines rivers in New Mexico. Cottonwoods can grow as large as three feet in diameter and ninety feet tall. Indigenous populations have long used cottonwood for diverse purposes, including making drums and preparing medicine. This woodland provides habitat for countless birds, reptiles, mammals, insects, and other wildlife. Alteration of the Rio Grande's flow to prevent flooding and enhance farmland, along with invasive species such as salt cedar and Russian olive, has shrunk the Bosque. Efforts are ongoing to save this important riparian environment.

Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico · United States