THE
SALI-DULCE RIVER BASIN
• The
Sali-Dulce River Basin is a closed basin located in central
Argentina, South America.
• Total
length ∼ 800 km.
• Drainage
basin ∼ 60 000 km²
• Drains
into the 'Laguna de Mar Chiquita', a large saline shallow lake (∼
6 000 km2) and one of the largest in the world.
(RAMSAR site # 1 176 https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1176)
- The Sali-Dulce river basin includes most of the provinces of Tucuman and Santiago del Estero, and parts of the provinces of Salta, Catamarca and Cordoba.
- Its main tributaries arise in the Calchaquies and Aconquija ranges, in western Tucuman.
- With the name 'Sali' it flows North-South through over 200 km in Tucuman. In Province of Santiago del Estero it changes its name to 'Dulce', turns South-East and spreads into extensive wetlands before reaching Laguna de Mar Chiquita (situated in Cordoba Province) .
- The Sali and Dulce rivers are divided by the 'Rio Hondo' dam and reservoir. Other tributaries add to the inflow to the reservoir, mainly the Gastona, Chico, and Marapa Rivers.
THE
UPPER SALI-DULCE RIVER BASIN
• We
used here the name "upper Sali-Dulce River Basin" to refer
to the drainage basin of the Rio Hondo Reservoir.
• The
Upper Sali-Dulce basin thus includes: Sali River, Gastona River,
Chico River (also known as Medina River), and Marapa River basins
and well as other minor tributary basins. It covers ∼ 20 000 km2,
mostly located in Tucuman Province (north-central Argentina).
• The
Rio Hondo Dam provides hydroelectric power and water (mainly for
irrigation and some for human consumption, in Santiago del Estero
province).
- The Province of Tucuman (Provincia de Tucumán) extends over ∼22 000 km2 and is located between 26 and 28S, and 64.30 and 66.30W. A large plain dominates the eastern part of the territory (Tucuman Plain) but the western and northeastern districts are mountainous (some peaks reaching 5 000 m.a.s.l. in the western ranges).
- Most of the rainfall occurs in summer and fall and are usually torrential in nature. Annual rainfall exceeds 1 000 mm on the ranges (approaching 3 000 mm at some points on the eastern slopes), whereas it is lower than 600 mm on the eastern plain.
- The eastern slopes of the ranges are provided with abundant water and mild climate, which gives rise to the YUNGAS, a highly diverse subtropical forest which includes the headwaters of most basins in the area and help regulate waterflow and erosion. The yungas in Tucuman have been under antropic preassure for centuries, but preassure have increased in the last decades.
- Most headwaters are located in the eastern slopes of the Calchaquies and Aconquija ranges, and a multitude of rivers flow east towards the plain to join either the Sali river (the main collector) or the Rio Hondo Reservoir itself.
- Total population of the province is over 1,5 million, 50% of which lives in the capital city (San Miguel de Tucuman) and its surrounding area. The other urban areas tend to be located in the piedmont area.
- Per capita product in Tucuman is half that of the the average for the rest of the country (Argentina).
- In Tucumán, the upper Sali-Dulce watershed provides water mainly for industrial uses as well as for human consumption in cities. It is also the recipient of wastes dumped from: sugarcane industry (including the production sugar and ethanol from sugarcane subproducts), other industrial wastes (from citrus processing plants,slaughterhouses, paper manufacturing, etc), urban drainage with insufficient treatment, agricultural run-off and other sources.
- Rio Hondo reservoir provides energy and water for large irrrigation schemes in Santiago del Estero as well as for human and cattle consumption. It is also used for recreational purposes (mainly fishing as a sport). Mean annual outflow is around 100 m3/s.
The
dominant economic sector in Tucuman is agroindustry. Wastes from
ethanol and sugar production (mostly organic matter) have been
recognized as the most polluting inputs to the upper Sali-Dulce
basin.
Studies in many sites along the tributaries of the Sali-Dulce basin have shown a general degradation of environmental conditions and highly variable levels of water pollution (assorted toxic compounds as well as extremely high levels of organic matter).
However,
most evident impacts are seen in the Rio Hondo reservoir, where
much of the load will settle. Silting and eutrophication are of
course a problem, but dramatic episodes of fish mortality have caused
alarm among the population of Termas de Rio Hondo (a tourist resort
5km downstream from the dam, in Santiago del Estero Province) which has echoed among environmentalist NGOs around the country.
All
of northern Argentina is considered a priority area for Argentina's
federal development programs as it sustains significant part of
total population but has seen little growth in the last decades.
On
one hand, Tucuman is the most dynamic (and hence powerful) of all
provinces in the North. As a result of the interplay of natural and
economic, as well as political forces, this province shows some of
the most beautiful landscapes in Argentina, as well as some of the
most degraded environmental and social conditions (to name a few:
deforestation, loss of biodiversity,erosion hazard, flood hazard,
air pollution, surface water pollution; unemployment, growing income
inequality, inadequate housing, social unrest, corruption scandals at all imaginable levels).
key words: LATIN AMERICA - SOUTH AMERICA - REPUBLIC OF ARGENTINA - NORTHWEST ARGENTINA - TUCUMAN PROVINCE - SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO PROVINCE - YUNGAS - CHACO PAMPEAN PLAIN - WETLANDS - SPATIAL STRUCTURE - ENVIRONMENT - HYDROLOGY - ECOLOGY - LANDSCAPE - POPULATION - AGRICULTURE - INDUSTRY - SUGAR MILLS - BIOFUELS - ORGANIC MATTER - POLLUTION - WATER - RIVER BASIN - DAMS - EUTROPHIC - ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY - ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS - CLEANER PRODUCTION - SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - INTEGRATED RESOURCES MANAGEMENT -
Argentina profile by BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18707514
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