The most important rivers in the Andean Region are characterized by being important for the economic development of Colombia. In general, they are a primary source of natural resources and habitat for thousands of endemic species in the region.
The Andean Region is called the area of Colombia where the Andes mountain range is located, which borders the Orinoquía Region. This region is crossed in a southwestern direction by the Western and Central Cordillera.
Divided into two branches: the Colombian Massif and the source of the Eastern Cordillera, a place where multiple volcanoes and water sources are located.
The rivers located in the Andean Region are born directly from the Andes and irrigate the most fertile valleys of Colombia: the Valle del Cauca and the Valle del Magdalena, places where the largest cities in the country and the most economic and development centers are located. important.
In general, the Magdalena River is characterized by being one of the longest in South America, being one of the most dynamic and important river transport routes in Colombia.
The Cauca River, on the other hand, irrigates fertile lands and is responsible for the development of agricultural and livestock activities, while the Atrato River is a rapid transport route with the potential to be the commercial Canal of America.
The main rivers of the Andean Region
Magdalena river
The Magdalena River is the most important river in Colombia, it is located centrally in the north of the country. It is born at the bifurcation between the Central and Eastern mountain range and has an approximate length of 1,497 kilometers until its mouth in the Caribbean Sea.
The Magdalena River has as tributaries the San Jorge, Cauca and César rivers in the swampy plains in the north of the country.
The mouth of this river current must be dredged in order to give it greater depth to allow the passage of ships that want to access the Port of Barranquilla in the department of Atlántico.
In general, it is a river navigable by steamboats in the department of Neiva. This river is only interrupted by the rapids located in the municipality of Honda, Tolima.
In turn, it is the fifth longest river in South America and the lands located in the valley around it are extremely fertile. For this reason, in the Magdalena Valley you can find crops that produce health benefits such as coffee, corn, banana, cocoa and yucca.
In terms of its ecosystem, the Magdalena River flows from the Andes to the Caribbean, and is home to diverse ecosystems, including forests, mountains, valleys, wetlands, and seas.
Approximately 2,735 species of animals depend on this river, many of them endemic to the Andean Region and among which are the Caribbean Night Monkey and hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and fish.
For fishing and the economy, approximately 120,000 inhabitants of the Andean Region depend on the Magdalena River to survive. In this sense, the most important economic activities related to it are fishing and agriculture.
As an interesting fact, the Magdalena fishing industry generates approximately 62 million tons of fish each year and fish is the main source of protein for most of the surrounding communities.
Cauca River
The Cauca River is the second most important river in Colombia, located in the western and northwestern part of the country. This stream of water originates in the Andes near the city of Popayán and runs north between the Western and Eastern Cordilleras for 1,349 kilometers until it joins the Magdalena River in Mompox, in the department of Bolívar.
Approximately in the middle, the Cauca River flows through a depression of fertile land that receives its name from it and is known as Valle del Cauca. In these lands you can find crops of sugar cane, cocoa, banana, corn and rice.
Similarly, in this valley different types of meat and grazing animals are raised at an average height of 940 to 1000 meters above sea level.
In general, the Valle del Cauca area is navigable. And passing this, is the Cauca canyon, place from where large quantities of gold were extracted in times of the Spanish Colony.
The Cauca Canyon includes the departments of Caldas, Risaralda and Antioquia up to the city of Valdivia. Once through these landscapes, the river empties into a swampy area before joining the Magdalena River.
During the years of the Spanish Colony, Valle del Cauca was an economic center for the production of cattle and tobacco, as well as for gold mining. In the 19th century, coffee and sugar crops were included in the area. Today, Valle del Cauca continues to be one of the most important economic centers in Colombia.
However, in terms of environmental problems, in 2007 the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported that an average of 500 tons of wastewater was being dumped into the Cauca River every day.
Along these lines, the pollution produced by the mining industry and mercury residues are the main pollutants of the largest water source in Santiago de Cali, one of the most important cities in Colombia.
Atrato River
The Atrato River is located between the Western Cordillera and the Pacific Ocean, located in the northwestern sector of Colombia. It is born on the slopes of the western side of the Western Cordillera in the Andes and flows north until it empties into the Gulf of Urabá, located in the Caribbean Sea.
Its length is approximately 670 kilometers, however, despite its short distance, it is the Colombian river that discharges the most water into the sea, depositing at least 5,000 cubic meters of water per second.
This current carries a considerable amount of sediment, which it quickly deposits in the gulf. At the same time, it is easily navigable by small boats that want to move at a fast speed to Quibdó, the capital of the department of Chocó.
For this reason, it is considered an easy route to navigate between Chocó and the department of Antioquia.
The Atrato River flows through a narrow street between the Western Cordillera and the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Small rivers such as the Truando, the Sucio and the Murrí flow into it.
The gold and platinum mines located in Chocó deposit their waters in the Atrato, which is why it is considered that their sands are gold-bearing, that is, gold can be found in them.
References
- Aguirre, M. (2017). International Rivers. Obtained from Magdalena River: internationalrivers.org.
- Britannica, TE (Jul 7, 1998). Encyclopædia Britannica. Obtained from Atrato River: global.britannica.com.
- Britannica, TE (July 20, 1998). Encyclopedia Britannca. Obtained from Magdalena River: global.britannica.com.
- Bushnell, D. (1993). The Making of Modern Colombia: A Nation in Spite of Itself. Berkeley: University of California Press.
- Conservancy, TN (2017). The Natural Conservancy. Obtained from Magdalena River Basin Past, present and future of Colombia: nature.org.
- Sesana, L. (2004). Los Katíos National Natural Park. In L. Sesana, Colombia Natural Parks (p. 315). Bogotá DC: Villegas Editores.
- Woods, S. (2012). Bradt Travel Guides - Colombia. The Vale, UK: Bradt Guides.