Arzobispo River Facts for Kids

"Salitre River, Bogotá" redirects here. For the Salitre River in Bahía, Brazil, see Salitre River.

Quick facts for kids Juan Amarillo River
Location of the Juan Amarillo River in Colombia
Other name(s)	Salitre River Arzobispo River
Country	Colombia
Department	Cundinamarca
Municipalities	Bogotá
Localities	Usaquén, Chapinero, Santa Fe, Suba, Barrios Unidos, Teusaquillo, Engativá
Physical characteristics
Main source	Eastern Hills 3,300 m (10,800 ft) 4°38′09.1″N 74°02′00.2″W / 4.635861°N 74.033389°W / 4.635861; -74.033389
River mouth	Bogotá River Tibabuyes 2,539 m (8,330 ft) 4°44′15.2″N 74°07′38.7″W / 4.737556°N 74.127417°W / 4.737556; -74.127417
Basin features
River system	Bogotá River Magdalena Basin Caribbean Sea
Basin size	12,892 ha (31,860 acres)

The Juan Amarillo River, also known as the Arzobispo River or Salitre River, is an important river in Bogotá, Colombia. It flows across the Bogotá savanna and is one of the rivers that feeds into the Bogotá River. This river starts in the Eastern Hills of Bogotá from many small streams called quebradas. It then flows into the Tibabuyes wetland, which is the largest wetland in Bogotá. The area that the Juan Amarillo River covers, called its basin, is about 12,892 hectares (31,860 acres). This basin includes several parts of Bogotá, such as Usaquén, Chapinero, Santa Fe, Suba, Barrios Unidos, Teusaquillo, and Engativá. The Juan Amarillo River, along with the Fucha River and Tunjuelo River, are the main rivers that join the Bogotá River from its left side in the capital city.

What is the Juan Amarillo River?
Wetlands of the Juan Amarillo Basin
Gallery
See also

What is the Juan Amarillo River?

The Juan Amarillo River, also called the Arzobispo or Salitre River, begins high up in the Eastern Hills of Bogotá. It starts at an altitude of about 3,300 metres (10,800 ft) from many small streams. Some of the main streams that feed it are Las Delicias, La Vieja, El Chicó, Los Molinos, Santa Bárbara, Delicias del Carmen, El Cóndor, El Cedro, San Cristóbal, La Cita, and La Floresta.

The river's basin, which is the land area that drains into the river, covers a large part of Bogotá. In its upper section, it flows through Usaquén, Chapinero, and Santa Fe. As it moves further down, it passes through Suba, Barrios Unidos, Teusaquillo, and Engativá. The Suba Hills (cerros de Suba) are also found within this river basin. The total area of the Juan Amarillo basin is about 12,892 hectares (31,860 acres).

The river carries a lot of solid materials, like dirt and sand. About 1,320 milligrams per litre (4.8×10⁻⁵ lb/cu in) of these materials reach the end of the river near the Tibabuyes wetland.

Wetlands of the Juan Amarillo Basin

The Juan Amarillo River basin is home to six of the fifteen special protected wetlands in Bogotá. These wetlands are very important natural areas.

These wetlands are like natural sponges that help clean the water and provide homes for many plants and animals. They are also important for controlling floods. Here are the six wetlands found in the Juan Amarillo River basin:

Wetland	Location	Altitude (m)	Area (ha)
La Conejera	Suba	2544	58.9
Tibabuyes Juan Amarillo	Suba Engativá	2539	222.58
Jaboque	Engativá	2539	148
Córdoba	Suba	2548	40.51
Santa María del Lago	Engativá	2549	12
El Salitre	Barrios Unidos	2558	6.4