Chubut River
Encyclopedia
The Chubut River is located in the Patagonia
region of southern Argentina
. Its name comes from the Tehuelche
word chupat, which means "transparent". The Argentine Chubut Province
, through which the river flows, is named after it. Welsh
settlers called the river "Afon Camwy," meaning "twisting river" in English.
The river is generally shallow and its water flow can vary from 4 to 30 m³/s between drought and flood. Flooding made the lands beside the river fertile and important for agriculture. The river is a popular trout
fishing destination.
to the Atlantic Ocean
, emptying at Engaño Bay
near Rawson
. The main arm of the Chubut originates in Carreras, Río Negro Province
, and its basin covers a large area of the western Andean foothills between Bariloche and Esquel
. It is also fed by the Chico River. The many branches join some distance before the small town of Piedra Parada, where the terrain becomes the flat plain characteristic of Argentinian Patagonia. It flows east and passes by the town of Paso del Sapo
, where it turns southeast through relatively unpopulated central Chubut. It meets Highway 25 and turns east once again.
. This dam, named after palaeontologist Florentino Ameghino
, was designed in 1943 by engineer Antonio Domingo Pronsato; work started on 19 April 1963. The artificial lake covers 70 square kilometres. The plant, which uses a 56 m (184 ft) high waterfall with a flow of 150 m³/s (5,300 ft³/s) and three turbines, provides energy to Pico Truncado
, Caleta Olivia
, Comodoro Rivadavia
, and the lower Chubut Valley.
and Trelew
are examples of Welsh towns.
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
region of southern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Its name comes from the Tehuelche
Tehuelche language
Tehuelche is a nearly extinct Chon language spoken by four people in Patagonia out of an ethnic group of 200. They were originally nomadic hunters from Chile. It is also known as Aonikenk or Aonek'o 'ajen...
word chupat, which means "transparent". The Argentine Chubut Province
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
, through which the river flows, is named after it. Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
settlers called the river "Afon Camwy," meaning "twisting river" in English.
The river is generally shallow and its water flow can vary from 4 to 30 m³/s between drought and flood. Flooding made the lands beside the river fertile and important for agriculture. The river is a popular trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
fishing destination.
Course
The river flows eastwards for approximately 800 kilometres (497.1 mi), from the AndesAndes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, emptying at Engaño Bay
Engaño Bay
Engaño Bay is a bay off the coast of Rawson, Patagonia, Argentina.The Chubut River drains into the Atlantic Ocean at Engaño Bay . The bay is rather shallow but is known for its high productivity of shrimps and small fish throughout the warmer months....
near Rawson
Rawson, Chubut
Rawson is the capital of the Argentine province of Chubut, in Patagonia. It has about 26,000 inhabitants, and it is the head town of the Rawson Department, which has 122,000 inhabitants...
. The main arm of the Chubut originates in Carreras, Río Negro Province
Río Negro Province
Río Negro is a province of Argentina, located at the northern edge of Patagonia. Neighboring provinces are from the south clockwise Chubut, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.Its capital is Viedma...
, and its basin covers a large area of the western Andean foothills between Bariloche and Esquel
Esquel
According to the , the Esquel district had about 28,000 inhabitants, with one of the highest rates of growth in the province, mainly as result of the immigration of people from Buenos Aires, but also from other provinces. It has wide cement streets with sidewalks, and is clean and well maintained...
. It is also fed by the Chico River. The many branches join some distance before the small town of Piedra Parada, where the terrain becomes the flat plain characteristic of Argentinian Patagonia. It flows east and passes by the town of Paso del Sapo
Paso del Sapo
Paso del Sapo is a village and municipality in Chubut Province in southern Argentina.-References:...
, where it turns southeast through relatively unpopulated central Chubut. It meets Highway 25 and turns east once again.
Hydroelectric power
A 255 m (837 ft) long concrete dam blocks the river some 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) west of TrelewTrelew
-References:La Pasión según Trelew, Espejo de la Argentina, 1997, Editorial Planeta Argentina S.A.I.C.; Third Edition: April 2000, Buenos Aires, ISBN 950-742-859-3-External links:* * * *...
. This dam, named after palaeontologist Florentino Ameghino
Florentino Ameghino
Florentino Ameghino was an Argentine naturalist, paleontologist, anthropologist and zoologist.Born in Luján, son of Italian immigrants, Ameghino was a self-taught naturalist, and focused his study on the lands of the southern Pampas...
, was designed in 1943 by engineer Antonio Domingo Pronsato; work started on 19 April 1963. The artificial lake covers 70 square kilometres. The plant, which uses a 56 m (184 ft) high waterfall with a flow of 150 m³/s (5,300 ft³/s) and three turbines, provides energy to Pico Truncado
Pico Truncado
Pico Truncado is a town and municipality in Santa Cruz Province in southern Argentina....
, Caleta Olivia
Caleta Olivia
Caleta Olivia is a city located at the northeast of the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, on the San Jorge Gulf by the Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of 36,000 inhabitants...
, Comodoro Rivadavia
Comodoro Rivadavia
Comodoro Rivadavia is a city in the Patagonian province of Chubut in southern Argentina, located on the San Jorge Gulf, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, at the foot of the Chenque Hill. Comodoro Rivadavia is the most important city of the San Jorge Basin....
, and the lower Chubut Valley.
History
In the 19th century, Welsh settlers arrived in Chubut and established a colony, "Y Wladfa"/"", in the valley of the Chubut river. Today, the Welsh language and Welsh tea houses are common in several towns, many of which have Welsh names. DolavonDolavon
Dolavon is a small town in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina. It has a population of 2,929 according to the . It is located close to the Chubut River, about 19 km to the west of Gaiman. The name comes from Welsh dôl and afon . Welsh immigrants began to settle in the area after their...
and Trelew
Trelew
-References:La Pasión según Trelew, Espejo de la Argentina, 1997, Editorial Planeta Argentina S.A.I.C.; Third Edition: April 2000, Buenos Aires, ISBN 950-742-859-3-External links:* * * *...
are examples of Welsh towns.