Río Grande (Bolivia)

Amazon Basin, the Rio Grande violet

Río Grande in Puerto Pailas

The Rio Grande ( Río Guapay or ) is a right tributary of the Río Mamoré in Bolivia. It arises from the confluence of the Río Caine and Río San Pedro and is often regarded as the longest source of the river Mamoré because of its length.

River course

Río Rocha

One of the origins of the Rio Grande is the Río Rocha, of the city of Cochabamba on the south side just East of the Cordillera de Cochabamba. The Río Rocha crosses the valley of Cochabamba in a westerly direction in seasonally strongly fluctuating water levels. After 65 km the river turns to the southeast and joins after a further 50 kilometers east of Capinota at an altitude of 2,350 m above sea level with the Río Arque.

Río Arque

The Río Arque arises midway between the cities of Oruro and Cochabamba, and loaded up to the junction with the Río Rocha, near the town Capinota a total distance of 85 km back.

Río Caine

After the unification of Río Rocha and Río Arque the river for the next 162 km is called Río Caine and flows in a southeasterly direction largely before he is given in the further course after the union with the Río San Pedro, the name Rio Grande.

Rio Grande

After a total of 500 km, the river turns to the northeast and flows around in a wide arc of the metropolis of Santa Cruz. The river bed stretches is several miles wide, the river itself up to 300 m.

Important tributaries of the Rio Grande are the rivers San Pedro, Chayanta, Chico, Charobamba, Tomina, Mizque, Azero, Pailas and Yapacani.

Northeast of the city of Santa Cruz, the river due to the low gradient and the strong agricultural use is divided into many small arms, which each have only narrow rivulets for several kilometers.

1438 km below the source of the Río Rocha joins the Río Grande in the Río Mamoré.