Big River, Rio Grande

Many people know the Rio Grande as a recreational river-a place for float trips through the canyons of Big Bend, for fishing at Lakes Amistad and Flacon, for archeological study of ancient pictographs at the river's confluence with the Pecos, or hiking the river in New Mexico and Colorado. Yet these pleasant interludes on the Rio Grande in its more scenic stretches are only part of its story. The other parts include controversies over water rights and water quality, terrorism threats both real and imagined, and the smuggling of drugs and humans across the international border. 

In Big River, Rio Grande, acclaimed photographer Laurence Parent teams up with former Texas Parks & Wildlife editor David Baxter to create an expansive portrait of this magnificent river that highlights both its timeless beauty and its current challenges.