Pastaza River | |
---|---|
Native name | Río Pastaza (Spanish) |
Location | |
Countries | |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Cotopaxi Province |
• coordinates | 0°40′0″S78°27′0″W / 0.66667°S 78.45000°W |
• elevation | 3,762 m (12,343 ft) [1] 4,570 m (14,990 ft) [2] |
Mouth | Marañón River |
• coordinates | 4°54′29″S76°24′32″W / 4.90806°S 76.40889°W |
• elevation | 125 m (410 ft) [1] 120 m (390 ft) [3] |
Length | 786.41 km (488.65 mi) [1] 710 km (440 mi) [2] |
Basin size | 39,504 km2 (15,253 sq mi) [4] 41,793 km2 (16,136 sq mi) [5] |
Discharge | |
• location | Confluence of Marañón (near mouth) |
• average | (Period: 1965–2013)2,438.23 m3/s (86,105 cu ft/s) [5] 2,769 m3/s (97,800 cu ft/s) [4] |
Basin features | |
Progression | Marañón → Amazon → Atlantic Ocean |
River system | Amazon |
Official name | Complejo de humedales del Abanico del río Pastaza |
Designated | 5 June 2002 |
Reference no. | 1174 [6] |
The Pastaza River (Spanish : Río Pastaza, formerly known as the Sumatara [7] ) is a large tributary to the Marañón River in the northwestern Amazon Basin of South America. [8]
It has its headwaters in the Ecuadorian province of Cotopaxi, flowing off the northwestern slopes of the volcano Cotopaxi and known as the Patate River. The Patate flows south and in Tungurahua Province it is joined by the Chambo River just upstream from the town of Baños de Agua Santa just north of the volcano Mount Tungurahua and becomes the Pastaza. [9] [10] Seven kilometers east of Baños, it is dammed for the Agoyán hydroelectric project, which has created a silty lagoon by the village of La Cieniga. [10] The Agoyán dam was placed in that location specifically to leave the famous Falls of Agoyán, about 5 km further downstream, intact. After the waterfall the river enters a gorge where there is very fast whitewater with class-4 rapids; it is often used for whitewater rafting although it is not considered to be of the same quality as the Tena River and is therefore less popular for the sport. [11]
From the junction with the Chambo, the Pastaza flows almost due east for about 275 kilometres (171 mi) where it then turns south-east, as it is joined by the Topo River. [12] The Troncal Amazonas highway parallels the river from Baños to Puyo, passing through seven tunnels, and four major waterfalls that are touristic destinations for many Ecuadorians (Agoyán and Pailón del Diablo being the most popular.) Just past the town of Santa Inez, the Pastaza River crosses into the province of Pastaza, where it forms the boundary between that province and Morona-Santiago. At the town of Mera, shortly before reaching Puyo, the river exits the mountains and flows into a wide valley, becoming wider and shallower. [13] After Shell the river becomes braided and meanders, leaving oxbows and sloughs along its route across the Amazonian floodplain.
After cutting through Ecuador, the Pastaza passes into Peru at the village of Hito Zoilaluz on Isla Zoilaluz [14] and flows south into the Marañón River near Puerto Industrial. [3]
The Pastaza has numerous tributaries, both above and below the hydroelectric dam. These contribute to its rapid flow and to its tendency to flood. On the highway side of the Pastaza, a tributary river occurs about every 3–4 km for a stretch of about 50 km; on the opposite bank, the number of tributaries is slightly lower. The major tributaries are the Chambo, Bobonaza, and Huasaga, [8] also important are the Ambato, the Pindo, and the Puyo.
There are no major fisheries on the Pastaza River - it is primarily used as a means of transport by canoe. [7] Its rise and fall are rapid and uncertain, and it is shallow and full of sandbanks and snags. [15] Flooding occurs seasonally. [7]
In Ecuador, there are very few bridges across the Pastaza. The most significant ones are in Tungurahua province - namely a large span over the exact point of headwaters, just north of Baños, and the secondary span created by the Agoyán dam. After this, bridges tend to be of the suspension type, suitable for foot or small vehicle passage only. However, it is notable that the Pastaza can be forded during the dry season in a 4x4 truck, going across the floodplains below the town of Mera.
Ecuador is a country in western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, for which the country is named. Ecuador encompasses a wide range of natural formations and climates, from the desert-like southern coast to the snowcapped peaks of the Andes mountain range to the plains of the Amazon Basin. Cotopaxi in Ecuador is one of the world's highest active volcanos. It also has a large series of rivers that follow the southern border and spill into the northwest area of Peru.
The Morona River is a tributary to the Marañón River, and flows parallel to the Pastaza River and immediately to the west of it, and is the last stream of any importance on the northern side of the Amazon before reaching the Pongo de Manseriche.
The Napo River is a tributary to the Amazon River that rises in Ecuador on the flanks of the east Andean volcanoes of Antisana, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi.
The Tigre River is a Peruvian tributary of the Marañón River west of the Nanay River. It is navigable for 125 mi (201 km) from its confluence with the Marañón. It forms from the confluence of the Ecuadorian rivers Cunambo and Pintoyacu at the Peruvian border. Like the Nanay, it flows entirely on the plains. Its mouth is 42 mi (68 km) west of the junction of the Ucayali River with the Marañón. Continuing west from the Tigre along the Marañón River we have the Parinari, Chambira, and Nucuray, all short lowland streams, resembling the Nanay in character. Tigre is Spanish for "tiger" the vernacular name in the region for the Jaguar.
Tungurahua is an active stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Oriental of Ecuador. The volcano gives its name to the province of Tungurahua. Volcanic activity restarted on August 19, 1999, and is ongoing as of 2023, with several eruptive episodes since then, the most recent lasting from February 26 to March 16, 2016.
Chimborazo is an inactive stratovolcano situated in the Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known eruption is believed to have occurred around 550 A.D. Although not the tallest mountain in the Andes or on Earth relative to sea level, its summit is the farthest point on Earth's surface from the Earth's center, due to its location along the planet's equatorial bulge. Chimborazo's height is 6,263 m (20,548 ft), well below that of Mount Everest.
Pastaza is a province in the Oriente of Ecuador located in the eastern jungle. The capital is Puyo, founded on May 12, 1899, with a population of 33,325. The city is now accessible by paved roads, a recent development; the main road from Baños follows the Pastaza river into the province.
Ambato is a city located in the central Andean valley of Ecuador. Lying on the banks of the Ambato River, the city also sits beneath several tall mountains. It is the capital city of the Tungurahua Province, situated at an elevation of 2,577 meters above sea level. It is variously nicknamed "City of Flowers and Fruits", "Land of the Three Juan's", and "Garden of Ecuador." Ambato's inhabitants are called Ambateños or Guaytambos. The current mayor of Ambato is Diana Caiza.
Mount Carihuairazo is an eroded stratovolcano neighboured by Ecuador's highest mountain Chimborazo.
Sarayaku is a territory and a village situated by the Bobonaza River in the province of Pastaza in the southern part of el Oriente, the Amazonic region of Ecuador. The territory incorporates a number of villages.
Shell is a city located on the western edge of the Ecuadorian Amazon and in the eastern foothills of the Andes. It is located about 94 miles (151 km) southeast of Quito, and roughly 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the provincial capital, Puyo. Its name comes from the Royal Dutch Shell corporation.
The Machupo River is a river in Beni Department, Bolivia, a tributary of the Amazon. It rises in the foothills of the Andes and flows east and northeast into the Guaporé River just to the east of Forte Principe da Beira.
Puyo, also known as El Puyo, is the capital of Pastaza, a province in Ecuador. Puyo is located at an altitude of approximately 950 metres above sea level by the Puyo River, a tributary of the Pastaza River, which eventually leads into the Amazon River. True to its name, derived from the Kichwa word for "cloudy", the local climate is a wet one and the weather is often overcast.
Chandless River is a river of Peru and the Acre state in western Brazil, named after the British explorer William Chandless. It is a tributary of the Purus River
The Itonomas River is a river of Bolivia that flows through the departments of Santa Cruz and Beni. It is a part of the Amazon River basin.
The Parapetí River is a river in Bolivia that has its source on the eastern side the Andes, flows through the Gran Chaco of Bolivia and ends in the marshes of the Bañados de Izozog depression. The drainage basin is 25,300 km2, and with the inclusion of the Bañados of Izozog is 61,903 km2.
Kunturiri is a mountain in the Cordillera Real of Bolivia, about 5,648 metres (18,530 ft) high. It is also the name of the whole massif. Kunturiri is located in the La Paz Department, Los Andes Province, Pukarani Municipality, southeast of Chachakumani and northwest of Huayna Potosí.
La Quebradona is a river located in Ocotepeque Department, Honduras.
The Nupe is a small river in the Huánuco Region in Peru. It rises in the Cordillera Huayhuash and joins the Lauricocha River forming what is then called the Marañón River, one of the two largest upstream contributors to the Amazon River. The headwaters of the Nupe have been proposed as one of the sources of the Amazon.