Desaguadero River (Bolivia)

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The Río Desaguadero ( Spanish for " drainage flow ") is the main river of the Bolivian Altiplano highlands.

Location

Near the border town of Desaguadero at ( 16 ° 33 ' 51 " S, 69 ° 02' 09" W) drained the Río Desaguadero the only drain Lake Titicaca and performs 5-10% of the excess water from the lake, the remaining 90-95 % evaporates. In this way, the Río Desaguadero prevents large fluctuations in the lake level.

The river has a length of 383 km and flows from Lake Titicaca in a southeasterly direction. On his way he takes on several smaller tributaries, the most important of the Rio Mauri.

The Río Desaguadero ends at ( 18 ° 27 ' S, 67 ° 04' W) in the Poopó lake after he has previously flowed through the Uru Uru Lake.

Water management

The water flow of the river Desaguadero depends on the amount of precipitation on Lake Titicaca. In the long-term average, the evaporation loss of the lake with 436 m³ / s and given the excess amount that is delivered to the Rio Desaguadero, with 35 m³ / s The volume of water of the river to its mouth at the Delta Lake Poopó s is estimated to be 89 m³ /.

Importance

The Río Desaguadero is in the arid climate of the Altiplano, the most important water dispenser for agriculture and is used primarily in the northern part for irrigation.