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The Lerma River Basin is the lifeline of the city of Toluca, the capital of the State of Mexico, with approximately 1.5 million inhabitants living in the metropolitan area and 2.5 million living throughout the basin. Little or no emphasis on wastewater treatment or recyc ling has been imposed upon waste emitting economic activities. The New River is the most severely polluted river of its size within the United States. The New River receives contamination from agricultural drainage, raw sewage and industrial was te. Three quarters of the Tijuana River watershed is located within Mexico. Mexico currently lacks water treatment processing standards and garbage programs, this combined with increasing population, has resulted in large amounts of human and industrial sewage, plastics and other forms of garb age accumulating in the river. Salton Sea New River Mexicali Tijuana R i o B r a v o T ij u a n a R. Ma g da l en a R. T u t uc a R . S a n F r a n c i s o R. F l o r i d o R . C o n c h o s Ri v e r Sa n R od r ig o R . S al i na s R . P il o n R . Ri o Gr a nd e D e San tia g o Ri o Bo l a n o s R io L e r m a C oa c oy u l R. El R eti r o R. Ri o M i x t e c o C o a t zac o al c o s R . G u l f o f M e x i c o G ulf of T e h ua n tep e c North Pacific Ocean Gu l f o f C al i f o r n ia ^ Mexico City United States of America Mexico Central America Hermosillo Chihuahua Culiacan Durango Ciudad Lerdo Monterrey Saltillo Monclova Mazatlan Ciudad Victoria San Luis Potosi Aguascalientes Puebla Oaxaca De Juarez Acapulco De Juarez Morelia Ciermavaca Toluca De Lerdo Veracruz Coatzacoalcos Villahermosa Merida Campeche La Paz Bavispe River Distrito Federal Guadalajara Ciudad Juárez Leon De Los Aldama 0 500 Km ® The Rio Conchos basin is one of the most important river systems in the arid region of northern Mexico. The river has been converted into the biggest collection system for contaminated agricultural and municipal wastewater. This pollution threatens the fresh water supply to surrounding urban areas. The Rio Bravo (Rio Grande) is one of North America’s Longest Rivers with a length of 3,03 kilometers . As urban areas along the river continue to grow, the Rio Grande becomes more polluted from the disposal of garbage, sewage and agricultural wastes, including pesticides, into the river. The Coatzacoalcos River’s mouth is one of the most commercial and industrial ports in the Gulf of Mexico. The river is among the world’s most contaminated rivers, this is due to the lack of environmental laws p rotecting public water, and the presence of the polluting petrochemical industry of Mexico . Mexico's Most Polluted Rivers Data retrieved from WWU and ESRI, 2008 River Data: See resource page World Mercator Projection Leanne Rone, May 29, 2010 Legend Polluted Rivers Major Rivers Mexico State Boundries Capitol City ^ Urban>50,000 Population US Lakes
