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How large is the Rio Grande watershed?
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Rio Grande
The Rio Grande basin and its drainage network.
The total area of the Rio Grande watershed is approximately 336,000 square miles (870,000 square km).1
However, because a significant portion of this basin is arid or semiarid, only about half of that total area—roughly 176,000 square miles (456,000 square km)—contributes directly to the river's flow.1