Samalá River
Not to be cofused with the Salamá River in Guatemala, a tributary of the Chixoy River.
| Samalá river | |
|---|---|
 The Samalá River at Zunil | |
| Origin |
Sierra Madre 15°02′05″N 91°34′22″W / 15.034759°N 91.572847°W |
| Mouth |
Pacific Ocean 14°11′31″N 91°47′08″W / 14.191934°N 91.785450°W |
| Basin countries | Guatemala |
| Length | 145 km |
| Source elevation | 3,200 m |
| Mouth elevation | 0 m |
| Avg. discharge | 8.7 m³/s (Candelaria) |
The Samalá River in the outskirts of Quetzaltenango city.
The Samalá is a river in southwestern Guatemala. Its sources are located in the Sierra Madre range, in the departments of Totonicapán and Quetzaltenango. From there it flows down, past the towns San Cristóbal Totonicapán, Quetzaltenango, El Palmar and Zunil, through the coastal plains of Retalhuleu into the Pacific Ocean.[1]
The Samalá river basin covers a territory of 1,510 km2, and has a population of around 400,000 people.[2] Its proximity to the active Santa Maria and Santiaguito volcano complex, with its recurring lava and lahars flows, leads to a heightened risk of serious floodings.[3]
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Río Samalá. |
References
- ↑ INSIVUMEH. "Mapa de Cuencas y Ríos".
- ↑ INSIVUMEH. "Principales ríos de Guatemala".
- ↑ Francisco de la Caridad Viera Cepero (2003). "Geomorphology and natural hazards of the Samala river basin, Guatemala" (PDF).
