Rivers of Mexico

Mexico is a country with many large rivers. In the Americas, it is also one of the countries with numerous important rivers.

The location of the rivers of Mexico correspond to representative geographical slopes. These are:

Western (Pacific) slope: This slope includes rivers that deposit their waters in the Pacific Ocean or deposit in a river that flows to the Pacific Ocean. The longest rivers in Mexico flow in this slope.

Eastern (Gulf of Mexico) slope: This slope includes rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea. It is usually comprised of short rivers.

Southern (Inland) slope: This slope includes the rivers that deposit into the interior basin of Mexico.

Below are the 5 largest rivers of Mexico and their main characteristics.

Conchos River

The Conchos river lies on the eastern slope and is one of the largest tributaries of the Rio Grande river. Its source is in the mountain region, the Sierra Madre Occidental. The Conchos river is the principal river passing through the state of Chihuahua. It deposits into the Rio Grande river. It is more than 900 kilometers in length,and the surface of its basin exceeds62,000 square kilometers. Water from the Conchos river is used in agriculture and hydroelectricity.

Grijalva River

The Grijalva river lies on the eastern slope and is located southeast of Mexico. Its source is in the valley of Écija, formed by the union of river currents that originate in the north highlands of Chiapas. The river changes its course from northwest to north and crosses a geological fault and receives tributaries. It passes through the states of Chiapas and Tabasco and serves as a state boundary between these states.  The mouth of the river is in the Gulf of Mexico. The Grijalva river is about 600 kilometers in length, and its basin exceeds 51,000 square kilometers. It is one of the largest generators of hydroelectric power in Mexico.

Lerma River

The Lerma River is the largest river of the inland slope. Its source is in Almoloya del Río, located in lagoons that are more than 2,600 meters above sea level, formed  from spring waters arising from basaltic volcanoes. The river flows northwest, then flows into Lake Chapala, a natural reservoir of the state of Jalisco. Its length is about 700 kilometers,and the surface of its basin is more than 47,000 square kilometers. The Lerma River is Mexico’s second longest river.

Nazas River

The Nazas river lies on the southern slope. It is born in the mountain region Sierra Madre Occidental and passes through the states of Coahuila and Durango. The Nazas river flows into the Mayran lagoon, in the states of Coahuila and Durango. The river is about 600 kilometers long, and the surface of its basin is just over  57,000 square kilometers. 

Rio Grande de Santiago

The Rio Grande de Santiago lies on the western slope. Its source takes place in Lake Chapala. The Santiago river passes through the states of Jalisco and Nayarit, then flows into the Pacific Ocean. It is about 562 kilometers in length. Its basin surface is more than 76,000 square kilometers. The Santiago river is one of the most important rivers of Mexico.

Below are other important rivers of Mexico.

Balsas River

The Balsas River is located in southern Mexico. It lies on the western slope and passes through the states of Guerrero and Michoacán. It is one of the longest rivers, being the junction of the Atoyac, Mixteco and Tlapaneco rivers, as it flows into the Pacific Ocean. Its length is about 770 kilometers, while the surface of its basin exceeds 112,000 square kilometers.The Balsas river and its tributaries drain much of the southern part of the central interior. It is a major source of hydroelectricity.

Culiacán River

The Culiacán river belongs to the western slope. It passes through the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The length of the Culiacán river is about 875 kilometers, and its surface covers 17,200 square kilometers. It flows mainly westward into the Gulf of California of the Pacific Ocean. The Culiacán River is one of the most polluted rivers in all of Mexico, due to the industrial waste.   

Usumacinta River

The Usumacinta river is in the eastern slope. It is formed by the union of river currents in the highland region, and its source is in the Sierra Madre de Guatemala. The river flows in a northwesterly course and serves as a border between Mexico and Guatemala, enters Mexico and passes through the state of Tabasco. The river forms impressive canyons along its route. Its mouth is in the Gulf of Mexico. Its length is 1100 kilometers,and the surface of its basin exceeds 100,000 square kilometers. The Usumacinta river is a visible natural boundary separating the Yucatan Peninsula from Mexico. It is considered the largest river of Mexico and Central America.

The Grijalva-Usumacinta river systems account for about two-fifths of the total volume of Mexico’s rivers.

Río Colorado

The Colorado River belongs to the western slope that rise in the Rocky Mountains of the United States.  It passes through the state of Sonora and flows into the Gulf of California in Mexico. The Colorado river has a total length of 2333 kilometers. Its basin has an area of 629,100 square kilometers.It is a vital source of water for 40 million people.

Río Bravo

The Bravo River is in the eastern slope. It originates in the San Juan Mountains in the United States. It passes through the northern Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Its water deposits into the Gulf of Mexico. It has a length of 3034 kilometers and the surface of its basin is 607.000 square kilometers. The Río Bravo del Norte forms a segment of the international border between the United States and Mexico. Only 20 percent of the water from the Bravo river deposits into the Gulf of Mexico, due to the consumption of water used for agriculture, cities, and water reservoirs.

References

National Geographic

Brittanica

Author: All Goods Online