 The river acts as a geographic division between the cities of Gómez Palacio in Durango and Torreón in Coahuila.The city of Torreón is named after a tower that was built in the area to monitor the water level of the Nazas from afar.The Nazas has served as one of the most important natural resources enabling development in the Laguna Region since the middle of the 19th century.