THE 6 MOST IMPORTANT RIVERS OF TAMAULIPAS - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

Among the main rivers of Tamaulipas, the Pánuco, the Rio Bravo, the San Fernando, the San Juan, the Soto la Marina river and the Tamesí river stand out. Another important watercourse is the El Guayalejo river, which delimits the states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz.

Also the Corona River, which springs from the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Pilón River, whose formation is due to the currents that flow from the Sierra Madre and the Sierra de San Carlos.

You may also be interested in the flora and fauna of Tamaulipas or its culture.

The 6 main rivers of Tamaulipas

1- Pánuco River

The Pánuco River is part of the slope of the Gulf of Mexico. Its source is at 3800 meters above sea level on La Bufa hill, in the state of Mexico.

At this point it is known as the Tepeji or San Jerónimo river. Then it becomes the Tula River, until its confluence with the San Juan River, where it is renamed Moctezuma. In its last section, where it meets the Tampaón River, it is called the Pánuco River.

This mighty river, only 120 kilometers long, crosses the states of Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz and Tamaulipas, until it empties into the gulf near the city of Tampico.

In addition to the San Juan, it receives tributes from the Extóraz, Amajac, Tempoal, Tampaón and Tamesí rivers.

2- Rio Bravo

It is the third longest river in North America, behind the Missouri and the Mississippi, with a length of 3034 km.

It is born in the southwest of Colorado, in the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Its main American tributary is the Pecos River.

It is also known as the Rio Bravo del Norte and is located on the border of Mexico with the United States, where it is called the Rio Grande.

From there it runs south and southeast from the states of Colorado and New Mexico. It reaches the city of El Paso, in Texas, and marks the border line.

The Rio Grande crosses the Mexican states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas and Nuevo León, until it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

It is not a navigable river, as it has a draft of just 18 meters.

3- San Fernando River

Also known as the Conchos River before reaching the territory of Tamaulipas. It is considered one of the main rivers in the state.

Its importance lies in the fact that it divides the state into two halves when crossing it from west to east. In fact, 20% of the territory of the state is drained by the basin of this river.

The San Fernando River is born in the eastern Sierra Madre of the state of Nuevo León and its main tributaries are the Potosí and Linares rivers.

Upon arriving in Tamaulipas, in the municipality of Burgos, it receives its name. Along its route of about 400 km in length it receives waters from the San Lorenzo and Radilla rivers, and flows into the Madre lagoon.

4- San Juan River

It is a tributary of the Bravo that passes through the state of Nuevo León and through the territory of Tamaulipas.

It is the most important river in Nuevo León as it is the main source of water for the El Cuchillo dam.

This river is born in the La Chueca stream, in the Huajuco Valley, municipality of Santiago. It is then dammed at the Rodrigo Gómez dam (La Boca).

Further on, it is joined by the Santa Catarina, Ramos, Garrapatas and Pilón rivers, to later flow into the Rio Grande de Tamaulipas, near Ciudad Camargo.

5- Soto la Marina River

This coastal river belongs to the slope of the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the state of Tamaulipas during its journey of about 416 km.

Its basin covers an area of ​​21,183 km² and is navigable in its last 50 km of travel until reaching the Gulf of Mexico.

Its source is in the Sierra Madre Oriental as a result of the confluence of the Purificación and Corona rivers.

After crossing the north of the Tamaulipas mountain range, it continues its course through the Boca de la Iglesia canyon and later crosses the coastal plain, where it receives tribute from the Jiménez stream.

It reaches the town of Soto la Marina, receives the contribution of the Las Palmas stream and flows into the Madre lagoon of the Gulf of Mexico.

6- River Thames

This river is a tributary of the Pánuco river in its lower course, which crosses part of southern Tamaulipas.

It was born in the municipality of Palmillas where it receives the name of Chihue; then it passes through the remaining municipalities of Jaumave, Llera, Mante, González, Altamira and Tampico.

When arriving at the municipality of González it is called Tamesí and it has a length of 150 km. It serves as a border line between the states of Veracruz and Tamaulipas. It is navigable with boats and barges.

References

1. Tamaulipas. Retrieved on November 11, 2017 from nationsencyclopedia.com
2. Cartron, Jean-Luc E and others: Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Conservation in Northern Mexico. Oxford University Press. Recovered from books.google.co.ve
3. San Fernando. Consulted of tamaulipas.gob.mx
4. Rio San Fernando. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
5. Tamaulipas. Consulted of inafed.gob.mx
6. Mexico The Geography (1994) - Conlon Silva and Wilson. Recovered from esacademic.com