El Corte River
Encyclopedia
El Corte River is the primary tributary of the Coatzacoalcos River
, flowing through the Mexican states of Oaxaca
and Veracruz
to the Gulf of Mexico
.
, a lowland corridor between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.
In its upper reaches it flows westward through the Zoque Forest
(Selva Zoque), an ecologically important zone with high biological diversity, part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor
.
It is home to cichlids among many other species of fish.
The river provides water to the township of Santa María Chimalapa
and to Cuauhtémoc
, the most important arable and livestock region of the state of Oaxaca.
Running north through the Isthmus, the river joins the Coatzacoalcos River which trends in a roughly northeastly direction to the gulf.
colony to the north established settlements on the river, which is easily navigable, and began to exploit the forest.
From 1731 to 1747, the forests around Santa María Chimalapa were an important source of giant pines, used for masts and beams by the Spanish navy
. The trees were floated down El Corte (which owes its name to the cutting of these trees) to Coatzacoalcos
, and from there were taken to the shipyards of Havana
.
The Zoque Forest today is under pressure from forestry and forest fires, human population growth, agrarian conflict, cattle production, subsistence hunting and illegal trafficking of threatened species, development and infrastructure projects and narco-trafficking.
The World Wide Fund for Nature
, with financial assistance from USAID is developing Watershed Management Plans for El Corte (Santa Maria Chimalapa) and Espíritu Santo (San Miguel Chimalapa) rivers to alleviate these threats.
Projects under the Puebla-Panama Plan, such as an industrial corridor to the west of the Zoque forest around the trans-isthmus highway, and rural industrialization through tree and coffee plantations and cattle corridors, may threaten the river's ecology.
In June 2008 the State of Oaxaca was considering construction of a storage dam in the Río El Corte Basin in the Chimalapa sub-region, with the potential to irrigate 100,000 hectares of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and to supply water to the Salina Cruz Refinery.
Coatzacoalcos River
The Coatzacoalcos is a large river that feeds mainly the south part of the state of Veracruz; it originates in the Sierra de Niltepec and crosses the state of Oaxaca in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, flowing for toward the Gulf of Mexico. Tributaries include El Corte, Sarabia,...
, flowing through the Mexican states of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
and Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
Geography
The river originates in the mountains to the east of the Isthmus of TehuantepecIsthmus of Tehuantepec
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route...
, a lowland corridor between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.
In its upper reaches it flows westward through the Zoque Forest
Selva Zoque
The Selva Zoque , which includes the Chimalapas rain forest, is an area of great ecological importance in Mexico. Most of the forest lies in the state of Oaxaca but parts are in Chiapas and Veracruz....
(Selva Zoque), an ecologically important zone with high biological diversity, part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor
Mesoamerican Biological Corridor
The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor is a large habitat corridor in Mesoamerica, stretching from Mexico southeastward through most of Central America, connecting several national parks. It was started in 1998 to keep 106 critically endangered species from going extinct...
.
It is home to cichlids among many other species of fish.
The river provides water to the township of Santa María Chimalapa
Santa María Chimalapa
Santa María Chimalapa is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico.It is part of the Juchitán District in the west of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region.-Environment:...
and to Cuauhtémoc
Rojas de Cuauhtémoc
Rojas de Cuauhtémoc is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 25.52 km².It is part of the Tlacolula District in the east of the Valles Centrales Region....
, the most important arable and livestock region of the state of Oaxaca.
Running north through the Isthmus, the river joins the Coatzacoalcos River which trends in a roughly northeastly direction to the gulf.
Development
During the Mexican colonial period, the UxpanapaUxpanapa
Uxpanapa is a municipality lying in the southeastern part of the state of Veracruz , in Mexico. It is bordered by the municipalities of Jesús Carranza, Hidalgotitlán, Minatitlán, and Las Choapas in Veracruz, as well as Santa María Chimalapa in Oaxaca...
colony to the north established settlements on the river, which is easily navigable, and began to exploit the forest.
From 1731 to 1747, the forests around Santa María Chimalapa were an important source of giant pines, used for masts and beams by the Spanish navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
. The trees were floated down El Corte (which owes its name to the cutting of these trees) to Coatzacoalcos
Coatzacoalcos
Coatzacoalcos is a major port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, on the Coatzacoalcos River. Coatzacoalcos comes from an indigenous word meaning "Site of the Snake" or "Where the snake hides"...
, and from there were taken to the shipyards of Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
.
The Zoque Forest today is under pressure from forestry and forest fires, human population growth, agrarian conflict, cattle production, subsistence hunting and illegal trafficking of threatened species, development and infrastructure projects and narco-trafficking.
The World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
, with financial assistance from USAID is developing Watershed Management Plans for El Corte (Santa Maria Chimalapa) and Espíritu Santo (San Miguel Chimalapa) rivers to alleviate these threats.
Projects under the Puebla-Panama Plan, such as an industrial corridor to the west of the Zoque forest around the trans-isthmus highway, and rural industrialization through tree and coffee plantations and cattle corridors, may threaten the river's ecology.
In June 2008 the State of Oaxaca was considering construction of a storage dam in the Río El Corte Basin in the Chimalapa sub-region, with the potential to irrigate 100,000 hectares of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and to supply water to the Salina Cruz Refinery.