Palena River : Course Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Palena River

River in Argentina, Chile

43°53′58″S 71°25′32″W / 43.89944°S 71.42556°W / -43.89944; -71.42556 • elevation927 m (3,041 ft) MouthGulf of Corcovado

• location

Pacific Ocean, Chile

• coordinates

43°46′04″S 72°58′33″W / 43.76778°S 72.97583°W / -43.76778; -72.97583^[1]

• elevation

0 m (0 ft)Length240 km (150 mi)Basin size12,887 km² (4,976 sq mi)Discharge • locationmouth • average130 m³/s (4,600 cu ft/s) Basin featuresTributaries • leftRosselot River
Rio Risopatrón • rightRio Frio

The Palena River or Carrenleufú is a river shared by Chile and Argentina in Northern Patagonia. It drains the waters of the Vintter Lake, also shared by these nations, and it flows into the Pacific Ocean. 56.5% of the river basin lies in Chile.^[4]

This river has a regular glacial regime and rapid white waters. The rapids between Palena and Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda are choice kayaking white water.^[5] The volume and rapid drop in elevation of the river is ideal for hydroelectric power plants. There are several projects at both sides of the border to use this power.^{[citation needed]}

Course

The river originates as the Carrenleufú as the out-flow from Lake Vintter. Its major tributaries include the Tranquilo, Figueroa, Frío, Risopatrón and Melimoyu rivers.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Río Buta Palena (Approved - N) at GEOnet Names Server, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
^ Río Corcovado (Variant - V) at GEOnet Names Server
^ Río Carrenleufú (Variant - V) at GEOnet Names Server
^ "Hidrografía Región de Aysén". Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 March 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Los 10 rios mas impresionantes de Carretera Austral, Patagonia - Chile" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 15 August 2015.