Rio Brazos (New Mexico) abruptly west into the Brazos Box, one of the largest canyons in New Mexico with a maximum depth of more than . Here, it passes the Brazos Cliffs, receives Gavilan and Encinado Creeks, and picks up an unnamed tributary which feeds Brazos Falls, reputedly New Mexico's highest waterfall with a total drop of . Northeast of Tierra Amarilla, the river emits from the mountains, receiving Chavez Creek from the right. It passes the settlements of Ensenada, Brazos and Los Ojos before flowing into the Rio Chama about northwest of Santa Fe. The Brazos is a perennial stream, reaching its highest
Brazos water snake Brazos water snake The Brazos water snake ("Nerodia harteri" ), also called commonly Harter's water snake, is a species of mostly aquatic, nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Texas in the United States. "N. harteri" is found only in central Texas in the Brazos River system. The preferred habitat of "N. harteri" is rocky areas along the Brazos River. Due to its limited range, "N. harteri" is considered to be a threatened species in the State of Texas. The specific name or epithet, "harteri", is in honor of American amateur herpetologist Philip Harter, who collected