Deseado River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Deseado River |
|
|---|---|
Meandering of the Deseado River
|
|
 Location of mouth
|
|
| Country | Argentina |
| Province | Santa Cruz |
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth | 47°45′39″S 65°53′56″W / 47.7608°S 65.8989°W |
The Deseado River (which means Río Deseado in Spanish) is a river in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina. Its name comes from the English word Desire. This was the name of one of the ships led by John Davis in 1592. He was part of an expedition with Thomas Cavendish.
About the Deseado River
The Deseado River starts as the Fénix River. This is a few kilometers north of Buenos Aires Lake. It is in the Andes mountains, in the northwestern part of Santa Cruz province.
How the River Changed
Long ago, the Fénix River flowed into Buenos Aires Lake. From there, its water went into the Rio Baker and then into the Pacific Ocean. But in 1898, people built a canal. This canal changed the river's path. It turned it into what we now call the Deseado River.
Today, the Deseado River flows for about 615 kilometers (382 miles). It travels southeast until it reaches the Atlantic Coast. Along its journey, some of its water is used for irrigation. This helps farmers water their crops. The Pinturas River is one of its smaller rivers that flows into it.
A Special Estuary
Sometimes, the Deseado River seems to disappear. This happens when it flows under dry land. But it always reappears before reaching Puerto Deseado. This town is on the coast of Santa Cruz. At Puerto Deseado, the river creates a natural deep-water port.
The end of the river has been covered by sea water. This forms an estuary. An estuary is where a river meets the sea. In 1977, this special area was made into a nature reserve. It is called the Reserva Natural Ría Deseado. This reserve helps protect the unique plants and animals that live there.
See also
- Rivers of Argentina
