Sonora River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rio Sonora |
|
|---|---|
Portion of the watercourse of the Sonora River, as it passes through La Estancia
|
|
 Location of mouth
|
|
| Other name(s) | Sonora River |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Sonora |
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth | Gulf of California 28°51′12″N 111°59′27″W / 28.8532°N 111.9908°W |
| Length | 402 km (250 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 10,040 km2 (3,880 sq mi) |
The Río Sonora (which means Sonora River) is a long river in Mexico. It stretches for about 402 kilometers (250 miles). This river flows through the state of Sonora in Mexico. It eventually empties into the Gulf of California, which is part of the Pacific Ocean.
River Basin
The area of land that drains into the Sonora River is called its watershed or river basin. This basin covers a huge area of about 10,040 square kilometers (3,877 square miles). The land in this area changes a lot. Near the start of the river, the slopes are very steep. As the river flows further, the land becomes flatter in the valleys. The Sonora River basin is actually made up of six smaller river basins.
Plants and Animals
The Sonora River basin is home to many different types of plants and animals. You can find several natural areas here. These include areas with thorny bushes, open grasslands, and woodlands with evergreen trees. The central part of the Gulf of California coast also has its own unique plants.
The area gets about 375 millimeters (15 inches) of rain each year. This rain usually falls during two main seasons. One is in late summer and early fall. The other is during winter and early spring.
An interesting fact about the river's wildlife is about beavers. In 1907, a scientist named Edgar Alexander Mearns wrote about seeing beavers on the Sonora River. These beavers are called North American beavers (Castor canadensis). This sighting might be the furthest south that these amazing aquatic mammals have ever been found!
See also
- List of longest rivers of Mexico
