Río Alseseca facts for kids

The Alseseca River is a short river in Mexico. It flows through the state of Tlaxcala. This river also runs through the city of Puebla de Zaragoza. The Alseseca is one of many rivers that start from the dormant volcano La Malinche. The river flows southeast until it reaches the Valsequillo lake.

River Pollution and Cleanup

For many years, the Alseseca River faced serious pollution. Between 1960 and 1980, many factories were built in Puebla. Sadly, these factories and a growing city threw a lot of waste into the river. This made the river very dirty, almost like a stream of garbage.

Today, things are much better. The amount of pollution in the river has gone down a lot. It is now against the law to use the river as a place to dump trash. This helps keep the river cleaner for everyone.

Flooding and Safety Efforts

The Alseseca River can sometimes flood, especially during the rainy season. This happens partly because of deforestation (when too many trees are cut down) in the area. When trees are removed, there is nothing to hold the soil, and water runs off faster, causing floods.

Since the year 2000, about 100 families have been affected by the river overflowing. This has happened in villages like Aleseca and Lopez Portillo. To help prevent floods, the city government has been working since 1995. They have built special barriers and dikes (walls) to control the river's water.

Alseseca Kayak Race

Every year, there is an exciting event called the Alseseca Extreme Whitewater Kayak Race. It takes place on the second Saturday in January. This race brings together kayakers from all over the world. It also encourages more local people to try the sport.

The race was started to help people learn about keeping rivers and the environment clean. It reminds everyone not to throw trash or waste into rivers. In its 10th year, over 60 kayakers from 14 different countries competed in the race. You can find more information about past race results online.