Santa Cruz River (Argentina)

Santa Cruz River (Spanish: Río Santa Cruz) is a river from the Argentine province of Santa Cruz.The Santa Cruz begins at the shore of the Viedma and Argentino Lakes, of glacial origin and located in the Los Glaciares National Park, and runs 385 km eastwards before reaching the Atlantic Coast, creating a delta.

The river has an important flow of 790 m3 on average, and is used not only for irrigation but also for hydroelectricity production.

History

On April 13, 1834, the "Beagle" anchored in the mouth of the river to begin an expedition up the river as part of its survey voyage. Three boats set out on April 18, carrying twenty-five men, including Captain Robert Fitz Roy and naturalist Charles Darwin. All involved took turn in teams dragging the boats up river for 16 days. Darwin took careful note of everything, including the terrain around the river the flora and fauna of the region, and the geology exposed as the river cut through the plains.

April 22nd. -- The country remained the same, and was extremely uninteresting. The complete similarity of the productions throughout Patagonia is one of its most striking characters. The level plains of arid shingle support the same stunted and dwarf plants; and in the valleys the same thorn-bearing bushes grow. Everywhere we see the same birds and insects. Even the very banks of the river and of the clear streamlets which entered it, were scarcely enlivened by a brighter tint of green. The curse of sterility is on the land, and the water flowing over a bed of pebbles partakes of the same curse. Hence the number of waterfowl is very scanty; for there is nothing to support life in the stream of this barren river. [http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-voyage-of-the-beagle/chapter-09.html]