The United States and Mexico share a 2,000-mile border that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. The border region is shared by ten states, wetlands, numerous mountain ranges, canyons, rivers, and deserts. The US-Mexico border is “Located between a developed and a developing nation, the US-Mexico border region is a formally defined transnational region. The region extends approximately 2,000 miles along the entire length of the international border, 62.5 miles (100 kilometers) north and south of the border, and 62.5 miles into the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.” Economic, political and social changes continue to reshape the relationship between the two nations and provide direct and indirect prosperity to communities along the border and across the country. However, despite these opportunities, the border region faces many environmental issues, including environmental degradation that impacts air, water, and soil quality along the Rio Grande River. Environmental degradation causes the destruction of ecosystems by human activities. Due to the limited scope of this document, only some of the environmental problems along the Rio Grande River will be specifically identified, rapid population growth, growth of industries, air pollution, large size and surface water quality, ecosystems, deforestation and water quality of the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande River, or Río Bravo as it is called in Mexico, is the natural border between the United States and Mexico from El Paso, TX, to Brownsville, TX, however, the Rio Grand River no longer flows naturally as the extensive networks of diversions and dams control the natural flow of the river. “The Amistad International Dam, built jointly by the United States and Mexico… at the center of the paper… environmental microbiology. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc; 1992, pp. 125–156. Accessed December 2, 2013. Souers, Amy, and Peter Kelly. 200. “The Rio Grande is listed among the nation's most endangered rivers.” American rivers. Search." Accessed December 2, 2013. Telephone interview, Kenneth N. Rakestraw, Chief, Water Accounting Division, International Boundary and Water Commission, Austin, Texas, May 6, 1998. Google Search." Accessed December 1, 2013.Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Division of Watershed Management Regional Water Quality Assessment in the Rio Grande Basin Austin, Texas. 1994. Search." Accessed December 3, 2013. United States Environmental Protection Agency and Secretar_a de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. State of the Border Region 2010. Border 2012: US?Mexico Environmental Program. Indicators Report; 2011. Accessed at December 2, 2013.