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Mesa (river) facts for kids

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Mesa River (Río Mesa)
Mesa River in Jaraba
View of the Mesa River in Jaraba
Ebro basin
The watershed of the Piedra within the Ebro basin
Country Spain
Physical characteristics
Main source Sierra de Solorio,
Guadalajara Province
Castile-La Mancha
1,272 m (4,173 ft)
River mouth Piedra River
La Tranquera Dam, Aragón
691 m (2,267 ft)
41°14′33″N 1°48′37″W / 41.24250°N 1.81028°W / 41.24250; -1.81028
Length 54.17 kilometres (33.66 mi)
Basin features
Progression Piedra - Jalón- Ebro - Mediterranean Sea
River system Ebro

The Mesa River (which is Río Mesa in Spanish) is a cool river in Spain. It flows through the beautiful Sierra de Solorio mountains. The Mesa River is like a helper river, because it flows into another river called the Piedra River.

You can find trout fish swimming in the Mesa River! However, there used to be a special type of crayfish called the European freshwater crayfish. Sadly, these native crayfish have almost disappeared. This happened because a new type of crayfish, the North American signal crayfish, was brought into the river.

River Journey and Features

The Mesa River starts its journey high up in the mountains. It begins near a place called Selas. This area is in the province of Guadalajara in Castile-La Mancha.

Water Flow and Springs

The amount of water in the Mesa River changes a lot throughout the year. In the summer, it can be quite dry. But in spring and autumn, it often gets a lot of rain. This makes the river flow much stronger!

The river also gets a boost of water at Jaraba. Here, there are special thermal springs. These are natural springs where warm water comes out of the ground.

Amazing Canyon Views

As the Mesa River flows, it carves out a really deep valley. This amazing natural feature is known as the Hoces del Río Mesa. You might also hear it called the Valle del Mesa. It's like the river has cut a giant path through the land!

See also

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