Caroní River

Coordinates: 8°20′43″N 62°43′09″W / 8.34528°N 62.71917°W / 8.34528; -62.71917
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Caroní River (Venezuela)
)
Caroní
Location
CountryVenezuela
Physical characteristics
SourceKukenan
 • locationin Gran Sabana, Bolívar
 • coordinates5°11′10″N 60°48′58″W / 5.186°N 60.816°W / 5.186; -60.816
 • elevation2,271 m (7,451 ft)
2nd sourceYuruaní
 • locationKavanayén, Gran Sabana, Bolívar
 • coordinates5°36′32″N 61°44′46″W / 5.609°N 61.746°W / 5.609; -61.746
 • elevation1,177 m (3,862 ft)
MouthOrinoco
 • location
Ciudad Guayana
 • coordinates
8°21′18″N 62°43′12″W / 8.355°N 62.720°W / 8.355; -62.720
 • elevation
8 m (26 ft)
Length952 km (592 mi)
Basin size95,000 km2 (37,000 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average5,093 m3/s (179,900 cu ft/s) at the mouth
Basin features
ProgressionCaroníOrinocoAtlantic Ocean

The Caroní River is the second most important river of

Bolivar State
.

Hydraulic regime

Caroní River in La Llovizna National Park, Puerto Ordaz
Confluence of Caroní River (in the background), a blackwater river with the Orinoco river, a whitewater river

The Caroní is one of the rivers with the highest discharge rates in the world, with respect to the area of its basin. The average discharge is 4,850 cubic metres per second (171,000 cu ft/s), with variations caused by the wet/dry seasons. The average maximum discharge is 6,260 cubic metres per second (221,000 cu ft/s), and the average minimum is 3,570 cubic metres per second (126,000 cu ft/s). Among the historic extremes are 17,576 cubic metres per second (620,700 cu ft/s). The Caroní supplies 15.5 percent of the discharge of the Orinoco river. One of the characteristics of the Caroní's water is the dark color, caused by the high amount of

diamonds
were found in the Caroní basin near the famous Lost World Region which then was accessible only by aircraft and four wheel drive vehicles.[1]

Basin

The river drains the

Guayanan Highlands moist forests ecoregion.[2]
The Caroní basin covers 95,000 square kilometres (37,000 sq mi) and is part of the Orinoco basin, the most important river of Venezuela. This means for the two big rivers that they have very similar hydrographic characteristics. The Caroní itself and its tributary the Paragua are rivers with a staircase, in the sense that many falls and rapids are alternated with stretches with gentle slopes, with many meanders and oxbow lakes (naturally cut off meanders). Among the most important falls of these rivers and their tributaries are Angel Falls, with the highest free fall of the world, almost 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and Kukenan Falls, the tenth on the world scale with a 610-metre (2,000 ft) free fall. Others falls with less height but high volume are the Aponwao, Caruay and La Llovizna waterfalls.

Hydroelectric power

The Caroní River and the Guri Reservoir

Because of its high discharge rate, with a yearly average of 4,850 cubic metres per second (171,000 cu ft/s) and a steep slope, the Caroni ideally suited for the generation of

Three Gorges dam in China (22,500 MW) and the Itaipu Dam
in Paraguay and Brazil (14,000 MW)

National Parks

In the high basin of the rivers that form the Caroni (Aponguao, Cuquenán and Yuruaní) the Gran Sabana is spread out, partly belonging to the Canaima National Park.

Mining

Along the Caroní River between the confluence with the Icabarú River and San Salvador de Paúl, there are several artisanal gold mines, mainly on the left hand side of the river outside the national park, but a few can also be found on the right hand side inside the Canaima National Park. Besides the devastating effects of logging and deforestation to clear the site for the mines, the far greater danger is the use of mercury which poisons the Caroní river, its fauna and inhabitants living along its shore. High levels of mercury have been found not only in the Caroní river but also in Lake Guri and further downstream. The government of Venezuela pledged to reduce illegal mining activities with the sustainable development plan for mining from 2016-18.[3]

Illegal mining surged under the government of Hugo Chávez, due to the nationalization of mines run by international mining companies and this had the negative consequence of an increase of mercury use as other processes are more difficult and costly to use for illegal, artisanal mining.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Treasure Hunt In A Lost World." Popular Mechanics, September 1950, pp. 73–79.
  2. ^ Sears, Robin, South America: Southern Venezuela, northern Brazil, western Guyana, and eastern Colombia (NT0124), WWF: World Wildlife Fund, retrieved 1 April 2017
  3. ^ "Ministerio del Poder Popular de Petróleo y Minería". Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  4. ^ "La minería del oro en Venezuela: Una "tormenta perfecta" de ilegalidad, deforestación y mafias". 4 January 2016.

8°20′43″N 62°43′09″W / 8.34528°N 62.71917°W / 8.34528; -62.71917