- The 5 main rivers of Guerrero
- 1- Mezcala River
- 2- Atoyac River
- 3- Cutzamala River
- 4- Papagayo River
- 5- minor rivers
- References
The rivers of Guerrero are an important pillar when defining the hydrography of the state. It is the 12th state in terms of water availability, and it has several reservoirs, rivers and deltas that discharge the waters directly into the Pacific Ocean.
The rivers of Guerrero supply several reservoirs and lagoons in their wake. They are between 10 and 1000 kilometers long.
You may also be interested in the hydrography of Guerrero.
The 5 main rivers of Guerrero
1- Mezcala River
The Mezcala is a river originating in central Mexico and flowing west through the states of Michoacán and Guerrero.
Curiously, its name varies depending on the area from which it is appreciated, although technically the river remains the same.
In the center of the country it is known as Balsas, in Puebla it is known as Atoyac and in the north of Guerrero it is called Mezcala.
It is born in the Zahuapan river and has a length of 1000 kilometers, which makes it one of the longest rivers in the country.
After its birth, it runs through the states of Tlaxcala, Puebla, Oaxaca, Guerrero and Michoacán, the latter two being on the border and the end of the route of its waters, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.
2- Atoyac River
The Atoyac is born in the Sierra Madre del Sur and is formed by the Puente del Rey, Las Palmas and Los Valles streams. It covers 8.8% of the state territory and is part of the Costa Grande hydrological basin.
The Balsas River is also called Atoyac because of the custom of calling certain large rivers by the name of their springs or tributaries, which vary according to the areas.
3- Cutzamala River
It is one of the tributaries of the Balsas River and shares its name with the Mexico City drinking water system.
It is formed by the union of the Zitácuaro and Ixtapan rivers. It is 108 kilometers long and flows into the Balsas River, which exceeds it 10 times in length.
The Cutzamala serves as a natural border between the states of Guerrero and Michoacán.
4- Papagayo River
The Papagayo is born in the Sierra de Igualatiaco and has an area of 200 kilometers long.
It flows through the center of the state of Guerrero and empties into the Pacific Ocean, like the Balsas River, only it does so in a different delta with three coastal lagoons: one in Papagayo (also known as Tres Palos), Chaytengo or Nexpa and San Marcos or Tacomate. The Omitlán River is one of its tributaries.
5- minor rivers
Among the smaller rivers are the San Jeronimito, Tecpan, La Estancia and Copala, which have lengths of only 5% of the great Mezcala.
These rivers travel distances of 50, 75, 25 and 25 kilometers, respectively. All are of great importance to supply water to the towns through which they pass.
They also serve local agricultural purposes, supply several coastal lagoons and support the flora and fauna of these ecosystems.
References
- Travel in Mexico - Geography of the State of Guerrero travelinmexico.net
- Guerrero State - Hydrography guerrero.blogspot.es
- Wikipedia - Rivers of the state of Guerrero en.wikipedia.org
- Guerrero Travel - Rivers and lakes of Guerrero
- Guerrero State Portal - guerrero.gob.mx