Rio Culebra (Colorado)
| Rio Culebra | |
|---|---|
The Rio Culebra near the town of San Luis | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Costilla County, Colorado |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Junction of El Valle Creek and Carneros Creek |
| • coordinates | 37°10′59″N 105°43′48″W / 37.183°N 105.730°W |
| Mouth | |
• location | Rio Grande |
• coordinates | 37°10′48″N 105°25′52″W / 37.180°N 105.431°W |
| Length | 30 mi (48 km) |
Rio Culebra (also called Culebra River, Río de la Culebra and Culebra Creek) is a river or creek in Costilla County, Colorado. The Rio Culebra rises in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and is 48 km (30 miles) long. It empties into the Rio Grande west of the town of San Luis. The region around San Luis features extensive agriculture made possible by irrigation water from the river. Sometimes called the "Culebra Basin" this area is known for the extensive irrigation canals called acequias built by its Hispanic settlers in the 19th century and still in use in the 21st century