| Rio Bonito | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Etymology | Beautiful river |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| Counties | Lincoln |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Sierra Blanca Mountains |
| • location | Lincoln County |
| • coordinates | 33°24′57″N 105°49′16″W / 33.41583°N 105.82111°W |
| • elevation | 3,002 m (9,849 ft) |
| Mouth | Rio Hondo (New Mexico) |
• location | Hondo, New Mexico |
• coordinates | 33°22′54″N 105°16′17″W / 33.38167°N 105.27139°W |
• elevation | 1,615 m (5,299 ft) |
| Length | 44 miles |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Pecos |
The Rio Bonito is a small river in the Sierra Blanca mountains of southern New Mexico, United States.[1] The headwaters of the river start in the Lincoln National Forest on the slopes of Sierra Blanca and travel eastward until they merge with the south fork of the Rio Bonito just west of Bonito Lake, a man-made reservoir. After passing through the reservoir, the river continues in a generally eastward direction passing alongside the historic Fort Stanton and the home of Billy the Kid, Lincoln, New Mexico. The Rio Bonito merges 10 miles (16 km) past Lincoln with the Rio Ruidoso in the town of Hondo, New Mexico where the two rivers join to form the Rio Hondo which then flows towards the Pecos River, though not reaching the Pecos except during floods.
Several fish species live within the waters of the Rio Ruidoso, including:[2]
- Several species of trout[3]
- Rio Grande Sucker
- Rio Grande Chub
- Longnose Dace
- Fathead minnow
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rio Bonito
- ^ Roswell District Office, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior (1997). Roswell Resource(s) Management Plan (RMP) and Carlsbad Resource(s) Management Plan (RMP) Amendment, Quay County, Curry County, DeBaca County, Roosevelt County, Lincoln County, Guadalupe Count, Chaves County, Eddy County, Lea County: Environmental Impact Statement. Roswell, New Mexico: United States Bureau of Land Management. pp. 3–74.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Beacham, Van (2004). Flyfisher's Guide to New Mexico. Belgrade, Montana: Wilderness Adventures Press. pp. 333–334. ISBN 978-1-932098-13-6.