Atuel River
The
Atuel River is a river located mainly in the south of the
Argentine province of
Mendoza, with its last part in
La Pampa. It is a tributary of the
Desaguadero River.
The Atuel is the longest river in Mendoza. It is born in the
Andes range, at 3,250 m
above mean sea level, from the
glacial Atuel Lake. It has a mean flow of 31.8 m³/s, and its
drainage basin covers 13,000 km². Its volume increases from November to March (around the summer).
After the waterfall known as El Nihuil, near the city of
San Rafael, Mendoza, the Atuel becomes
entrenched along a
canyon and forms
rapids. The canyon is about 60 km long, and during its course the river falls from 1,250 to 700 m above sea level. This level difference is taken advantage of by four
hydroelectric power stations (Nihuil I, II, III and IV).
The Atuel Canyon area is a major tourist attraction, featuring hotels, camping sites, country clubs and other lodging facilities. The rapids are employed for
rafting and
canoeing; they are classified between class II (novice) and IV (advanced) in the
International Scale of River Difficulty.
The canyon ends in the Rincón del Atuel. From there on the river flows along a plain, becoming wider and
meandering until reaching the Desaguadero River.
* El Baqueano, San Rafael,
Río Atuel.
* WelcomeArgentina.
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