As the fifth largest river in North America, the Rio Grande starts in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and reaches the Gulf of Mexico; between El Paso, Texas and the Gulf of Mexico the river becomes the longest river border in the world. On both sides of the river, water abuses are commonplace due to over development from agriculture and quickly growing populations. These problems threaten the surrounding riparian habitat and its unique biodiversity, but there have been efforts from both sides of the border to improve the situation. For the lower Rio Grande, water in the Rio Grande comes from the Rio Conchos in Mexico and the Pecos River from New Mexico and Texas.
