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 waste.

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 RiverMexicaliTijuana

R i o B r av

o

Tijuana R.

Magdalena R.

Tutuca R.

San Franciso R.

Florido R.

Conch

os River

San Rodrigo R.

Salinas R.

Pilon R.

Rio Grande De

Santiago

Rio Bo

la nos

Rio Lerma

Coacoyu l

R.

El Reti ro R.

Rio Mixteco

Coatzacoalcos R.

G u l f o f M e x i c o

Gu l f o f Te hua n te p e c

N o r t h P a c i f i cO c e a n

G u l f o f C a l i f o r n i a

^Mexico City

United States of America

M e x i c o

Central America

Hermosillo

Chihuahua

Culiacan

Durango

Ciudad LerdoMonterreySaltillo

Monclova

Mazatlan

CiudadVictoria

San Luis PotosiAguascalientes

Puebla

Oaxaca De JuarezAcapulco De Juarez

Morelia

CiermavacaToluca De Lerdo Veracruz

CoatzacoalcosVillahermosa

Merida

Campeche

La Paz

Bavispe River

Distrito FederalGuadalajara

Ciudad Juárez

Leon De Los Aldama

0 500Km

®

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 Ame rica’s Longest Rivers with a length of 3 ,034 kilome ters. As urba n a re as along the river continue to grow, the Rio Grande becom es more polluted from the dispos al of garbage, sewage and agricultural wastes , including pes ticides, into the rive r.

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 protecting public water, and the presence of the polluting petrochemical industry of Mexico.

Mexico's Most Polluted Rivers

Data retrieved from WWU and ESRI, 2008River Data: See resource page

World Mercator Projection

Leanne Rone, May 29, 2010

LegendPolluted RiversMajor Rivers

Mexico State BoundriesCapitol City^

Urban>50,000 Population

US Lakes