Hydrography of Oaxaca Most Important Features

The hydrography of Oaxaca It has many streams whose names change along its route. The vast majority of its rivers are formed by the contributions of various streams that descend from the mountains and mountain ranges that exist in the state..

These are used mainly for power generation, since the vast majority of these rivers are fast flowing. Only in some areas is agricultural activity benefited.

The state of Oaxaca is located in the southeast of Mexico. The extension area of ​​the state of Oaxaca is 95,364 km^two and represents 4.8% of the country's total.

Its altitude varies from sea level to 3750 meters above sea level. Oaxaca's geography is one of the most rugged in the entire country.

It has mountains, caves, canyons, canyons and even plains. All this generates influence on the hydrography of the state.

Main rivers of the state of Oaxaca

1- Slope of the Gulf

Towards the Gulf of Mexico are the Papaloapan River and the Coatzacoalcos River with their respective tributaries, which are of great national importance.

In turn, the Papaloapan River is formed by the currents of the Grande and Salado rivers. On the other hand, the Coatzacoalcos river is born in the Sierra Atravesada and is formed mainly by the currents of the Cempoaltepetl.

2- Pacific slope

This slope is made up of the currents of the Mixteco, Atoyac and Tehuantepec rivers.

The Mixteco River is made up of two arms. The first comes from the Huajuapan rivers and part of the Teposcolula. The second is generated by channels of the Tlaxiaco, Juxtlahuaca, Silacayoapan and Teposcolula rivers..

The Atoyac or Verde river originates in the Las Sedas mountains. It receives flow from many streams and rivers throughout its entire route, until its mouth in the Pacific Ocean.

The Tehuantepec River originates in the Miahuatlán district and its main currents are the Tabaje and Mijangos rivers.

In turn, the Tabaje river is formed by the currents of the Oscuro river and the El Manzanal stream..

The Mijangos River is formed by the confluence of the La Chigalla, La Libertad and Poblete flows.

Influence of geography on the hydrographic network of Oaxaca

Thanks to the mountainous relief of the state, the use of hydrography in Oaxaca is aimed at generating energy. In the state there are two hydroelectric plants: Tamazulapam and Temazcal.

In addition, four dams have been built in which the flow of the rivers is used. These are the Miguel Alemán, Benito Juárez, Lázaro Cárdenas and Lago Yoscuta dams. Also noteworthy are the dams El Estudiantes and La Azucena.

Near these have settled many cities that live off tourism, agriculture and the diversification of local economies.

Due to the geography of Oaxaca there are a large number of waterfalls, including the Cabandihui and Salto del Fraile waterfalls. In addition, the state has numerous natural grottos, caves and caverns.

References

1. Oaxaca state. (s.f.). Obtained from Encyclopedia of Municipalities and Delegations of Mexico: gob.mx
2. García-Mendoza, A. J., Díaz, M. D. J. O., & Briones-Salas, M. (Eds.). (2004). Biodiversity of Oaxaca. UNAM.
3. Santiago, M. E. H. Biological and Cultural Diversity of Oaxaca
4. Acosta, S., Flores, A., Saynes, A., Aguilar, R., & Manzanero, G. (2003). Vegetation and flora of a semi-arid area of ​​the upper basin of the Tehuantepec River, Oaxaca, Mexico. Polybotany, (16).

5. Geography of Oaxaca. (s.f.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: wikipedia.org