The Jemez River is a tributary of the Rio Grande in eastern Sandoval County,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

, United States.

Description

The river is formed by the confluence of the East Fork Jemez River and San Antonio Creek, which drain a number of tributaries in the area of the Jemez Mountains and Santa Fe National Forest. The Jemez River is about long, or about long if its longest headwater tributary, San Antonio Creek, is included. The East Fork Jemez River is about long. Both San Antonio Creek and the East Fork Jemez River flow through intricate meanders along their courses.Lengths calculated in Google Earth The East Fork Jemez is a

National Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

. The Jemez River flows generally south to join the Rio Grande near

Bernalillo Bernalillo () is a town in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 8,320. It is the county seat of Sandoval County. Bernalillo is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area. Histor ...

, north of

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

.General course info from USGS topographic maps

Course

The main tributaries streams that join to form the Jemez River are San Antonio Creek and the East Fork Jemez River. Both originate on the west side of the Sierra de los Valles near the northwest corner of

Los Alamos County Los Alamos County (English: "The Poplars" or "Cottonwoods") is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,950. The smallest county by area in the state, Los Alamos County was formerly administered ex ...

. San Antonio Creek flows west in a northward curve, through Valle Toledo and Valle San Antonio. The East Fork Jemez River flows west in a southward curve, through Valle Grande. These valleys are all part of the

Valles Caldera Valles Caldera (or Jemez Caldera) is a wide volcanic caldera in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. Hot springs, streams, fumaroles, natural gas seeps and volcanic domes dot the caldera floor landscape. The highest point in the calde ...

. The two tributary streams join near Battleship Rock in Cañon de San Diego, forming the Jemez River's

main stem In hydrology, a mainstem (or trunk) is "the primary downstream segment of a river, as contrasted to its tributaries". Water enters the mainstem from the river's drainage basin, the land area through which the mainstem and its tributaries flow.. A ...

. The Jemez River flows south through the Cañon de San Diego, between the

Jemez Mountains The Jemez Mountains are a group of mountains in Rio Arriba, Sandoval, and Los Alamos counties, New Mexico, United States. Numerous Puebloan Indian tribes have lived in the Jemez Mountains region since before the Spanish arrived in New Mexico. ...

and the

Nacimiento Mountains The Sierra Nacimiento (official name), or Nacimiento Mountains, are a mountain range in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of New Mexico. They are just west of the more prominent Jemez Mountains near the town of Cuba, and are separated from ...

to Jemez Springs, and continues south through the canyon to its confluence with the Rio Guadalupe, near Cañones and Cañon. From there the Jemez River continues south, passing through the Jemez Indian Reservation, where some of its water is diverted into irrigation canals. Vallecito Creek joins the Jemez River near

Jemez Pueblo Jemez Pueblo (/ˈhɛmɛz/; tow, Walatowa, nv, Mąʼii Deeshgiizh) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,788 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statist ...

. A few miles to the south the Jemez River enters the

Zia Zia or ZIA (also spelled Ziya, Ḍiya , Dia or Diya) may refer to: People * Zia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** A romanization of the Wu ( Shanghainese) pronunciation of the Chinese surname Xie (謝) ...

Indian Reservation and is joined by the Rio Salado, about four miles upstream from

Zia Pueblo Zia Pueblo ( Eastern Keres: Tsi'ya, Ts'iiy'a , es, Pueblo de Zía) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 646 at the 2000 census; Male: 310 Female: 336 The pueblo after which the CDP ...

. The river's course bends slightly to the southeast and it enters the Santa Ana Indian Reservation, passing by the

Santa Ana Pueblo Santa Ana Pueblo ( Eastern Keres: Tamaya ʰɑmɑjːɑ is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 479. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Sta ...

, located at the upper end of the

Jemez Canyon Reservoir Jemez Canyon Dam (National ID # NM00003) is a dam in Sandoval County, New Mexico, a few miles north of Albuquerque. The earthen dam was constructed in 1953 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, with a height of 150 feet and a length at its ...

. The reservoir is created by the

Jemez Canyon Dam Jemez Canyon Dam (National ID # NM00003) is a dam in Sandoval County, New Mexico, a few miles north of Albuquerque. The earthen dam was constructed in 1953 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, with a height of 150 feet and a length at its ...

and is entirely within the Santa Ana Reservation. Below the dam the Jemez River flows about three miles to its confluence with the Rio Grande, a few miles north of Bernalillo.

References

External links

{{authority control Tributaries of the Rio Grande Rivers of New Mexico Rivers of Sandoval County, New Mexico Jemez Mountains Santa Fe National Forest Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States

Description

Course

See also

References

External links