The Upper Rio Grande: New Mexico covers a range beginning at the New Mexican border with Colorado and ending just north of Santa Fe. The high altitude of this region means that a significant amount of snowmelt also contributes to the Rio Grande's annual springtime pulse. The Upper Rio Grande: New Mexico also includes the majority of one of the Rio Grande's larger tributaries: the Rio Chama, which begins in the west of the region before meeting up with the Rio Grande just north of the town of Espanola.
