Santa River

The Santa River (Spanish: Río Santa) is a river in the South American Andes cordillera in the Ancash Region of northwest central Peru.

River Course

Laguna Conococha, at an altitude of 4050 m above sea level and at coord|10|07|42|S|77|16|59|W|, is considered the headwaters of the "Rio Santa". Laguna Conococha itself is fed by small streams from the Cordillera Negra in the west and the snowcapped Cordillera Blanca in the east. The main tributary of the lake is "Rio Tuco" which has its source in "Laguna Tuco" (coord|9|56|40|S|77|11|44|W|) circa 5,000 m above sea level at one of the glacier tongues of Nevado de Tuco.

The Santa River emerges from Laguna Conococha and for 200 km runs in a northerly direction between the Cordillera Negra in the west and the Cordillera Blanca in the east, forming the fertile Callejón de Huaylas. At 2,000 m above seal level the river changes its course to a westerly direction, squeezing through the narrow gorge of Cañon del Pato ("Duck's Canyon") before it finally breaks through the coastal ridges.

During the dry season from June to November, the Santa River provides only a little water for irrigation, drinking water and hydroelectric power. A couple of water reservoirs have been established to control the fluctuation of the river. Upstream of the hydroelectric power plant of Huallanca, the Río Santa watershed covers an area of 4,900 km², downstream another 7,300 km². The river's mouth, after the river runs a total length of 347 km, is at coord|8|58|21|S|78|38|19|W| near Santa, 10 km north of the coastal town of Chimbote. In 1984, gold dust was discovered in the mouth of Río Santa which caused a regional gold fever among the rural population.

Towns

For most of its course, the Santa River is accompanied by a paved road.

From Lago Conococha to the river mouth, towns along the river are:
* 0 km Conococha (4,050 m elevation)
*62 km Recuay (3,400 m)
*88 km Huaraz (3,090 m)
*126 km Carhuaz (2,650 m)
*153 km Yungay, Peru (2,500 m)
*163 km Caraz (2,290 m)
*205 km Huallanca (1,820 m)
*215 km Yuramarca (1,420 m)
*343 km Santa (Peru) (20 m)

Natural Hazards

The Santa Valley has always experienced severe disasters. Beginning in 1702 when a glaciological flood is first recorded, the valley has repeatedly suffered deaths and destruction. In 1941, a flood destroyed one-third of Huaraz, killing 5,000 to 7,000 people. In 1962, a massive avalanche of ice and rocks tumbled down from the western slopes of Huascarán and then roared down the river valley. The Santa River rose by eight metres and 3,000 to 4,000 people were killed in the catastrophe. Devastating landslides ("aluviones") like these will aways threaten the region, when falling glacial ice triggers sudden drainages of ice-dammed lakes in the mountainous region and liquid mud, blocks of ice and large rock boulders crash down the narrow valleys.