Choluteca River
Encyclopedia
The Choluteca River is a river
in southern Honduras
. Its source is in the department of Francisco Morazán
, near Lepaterique (south-west Tegucigalpa), and from there it flows North through the city of Tegucigalpa
, then South through the department of El Paraíso
, and the department
and city
of Choluteca. The mouth of the river -located among wetland- is near the coastal town of Cedeño, on the Gulf of Fonseca
.
According to FAO
, the Choluteca River has 349 km of extension from his source to his mouth. Its hydrographic basin has an area of 7,681 km². It increases his volume between May and October, together with the rainy season. Its basin is affected by severe drought together with El Niño phenomenon, and this is usually associated with severe bush fires.
There are no dams
built along the main course of the river to leave it to its natural health.
The flooding of this river was a major source of destruction in Hurricane Mitch
in 1998. It washed out entire neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa, and eventually swelled to six times its normal size in Choluteca. There it destroyed neighborhoods and part of the commercial center. Further down it also devastated the tiny Morolica, where it not only destructed the entire hamlet but nearly all its inhabitants died or disappeared.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in southern Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. Its source is in the department of Francisco Morazán
Francisco Morazán (department)
Francisco Morazán is one of the departments of Honduras.It is located in the central part of the nation. The departmental capital is Tegucigalpa, which is also Honduras's national capital. Until 1943 it was known as Tegucigalpa department...
, near Lepaterique (south-west Tegucigalpa), and from there it flows North through the city of Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
, then South through the department of El Paraíso
El Paraíso (department)
El Paraíso is one of the 18 departments into which the Central American nation of Honduras is divided.Formed in 1878 from part of Tegucigalpa Department.The departmental capital is Yuscarán....
, and the department
Choluteca (department)
Choluteca is one of the 18 departments into which the Central American nation of Honduras is divided. It is the southernmost department of Honduras, bordering the Gulf of Fonseca to the west and the Republic of Nicaragua to the east and south.The departmental capital is city of Choluteca...
and city
Choluteca, Choluteca
Choluteca is a municipality and the capital city of the Honduran department of the same name. Situated in southern Honduras between El Salvador and Nicaragua, the city is generally considered the regional center of southern Honduras and is a major transit point on the Pan-American Highway. It...
of Choluteca. The mouth of the river -located among wetland- is near the coastal town of Cedeño, on the Gulf of Fonseca
Gulf of Fonseca
The Gulf of Fonseca , part of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.-History:Fonseca Bay was discovered in 1522 by Gil Gonzalez de Avila, and named by him after his patron, Archbishop Juan Fonseca, the implacable enemy of Columbus.In 1849, E. G...
.
According to FAO
Fão
Fão is a town in Esposende Municipality in Portugal....
, the Choluteca River has 349 km of extension from his source to his mouth. Its hydrographic basin has an area of 7,681 km². It increases his volume between May and October, together with the rainy season. Its basin is affected by severe drought together with El Niño phenomenon, and this is usually associated with severe bush fires.
There are no dams
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
built along the main course of the river to leave it to its natural health.
The flooding of this river was a major source of destruction in Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful hurricane and the most destructive of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph . The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season. Along with Hurricane Georges, Mitch...
in 1998. It washed out entire neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa, and eventually swelled to six times its normal size in Choluteca. There it destroyed neighborhoods and part of the commercial center. Further down it also devastated the tiny Morolica, where it not only destructed the entire hamlet but nearly all its inhabitants died or disappeared.
See also
- Rivers of HondurasRivers of HondurasRivers in Honduras is a list of the rivers in Honduras, including those it shares with neighbours. The most important river in Honduras is the Ulúa, which flows 400 kilometers to the Caribbean through the economically important Valle de Sula. Numerous other rivers drain the interior highlands and...
- Water Resources Management: The Choluteca river basin in Honduras
- Water Resources Management in HondurasWater resources management in HondurasWater resources management in Honduras is a work in progress and at times has advanced; however, unstable investment and political climates, strong weather phenomenon, poverty, lack of adequate capacity, and deficient infrastructures have and will continue to challenge developments to water...