Water in the desert. The Rio Grande has changed from the river that meandered through its middle valley during the 16th Century. At that time the big river flooded frequently and wandered through the valley creating braided channels with oxbow lakes and wetlands. Today there exist extreme demands on the water that flows in the Rio Grande. The river has been dammed and channeled and is now managed as a water delivery system for agriculture and urban needs. Although the Rio Grande below Cochit Dam is no longer a free-flowing river it still provides meaning and identity to the people and communities along its length.