The Rio Grande Bosque is thought to be the largest Cottonwood forest in the world. It stretches some two hundred miles along the Rio Grande from near Santa Fe on the north to south of Socorro, New Mexico. It is a "gallery" forest, narrow along the river. Immediately away from the floodplain, a harsher, desert regime prevails.
The magnificent Cottonwood trees of the Bosque are threatened. They rely on seasonal flooding to inundate the floodplain nourishing seedlings long enough to take root into the soil. Flood control efforts and drought have interrupted the natural cycle (the "jetty Jacks" seen in some of the pictures are evidence of earlier, unsuccessful efforts too control the river). Supplemental human plantings provide some replacements for the dying elders but the outlook is guarded.
The graceful giants invite careful observation and composition. Photo opportunities are virtually endless.