Estudio Recursos Hidricos Cuenca Limari Chile

TRILAT PROJECT – 2009

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT COURSE

LS / CUAS / PUCV

CASE STUDY: “MORE ELECTRICITY AT ANY COST”

Hydropower group

Participants: Carlos Astudillo Aguirre, Alfonso Pinto Castillo, Christian Etzkorn, Geoffrey Ndegwa

18.10.2009 Winter Term 2009/2010

TRILAT PROJECT – 2009

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT COURSE

LS / CUAS / PUCV

1. Describe the Limarí watershed in general looking at thedifferent elements which are important for watershed management (Module 1) including current and future availability of water in the unregulated as well as in the regulated part of the watershed. Description of River Limarí watershed The Limarí River hydrographic watershed is located in Coquimbo, IV region, spreads approximately between the 30°15 ' and 31°20 ' south latitude and the meridian 71 °34'-70 ° 11 'west longitude. Limarí River basin bounded on the north to the Elqui River basin, to the west coastal watershed Elqui River - River and Rio Limarí Limarí - Choapa River and South River watershed Choapa). Limarí River Watershed has a Pluvio-nival regime with an approximate area of 11,800 km2 drainage. It consists of 6 sub-basins are those of the rivers Hurtado, Big Tall, Big East, BigBass, and Guatulame Limarí.

TRILAT PROJECT – 2009

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT COURSE

LS / CUAS / PUCV

Location of the subbasins of the Rio Limarí

General characteristics of the subbasins Name subbasin Big Tall Big East Start Mountain the Andes Mountain the Andes Finish Before confluence with the river Rapel Confluence with the Rio Grande and Paloma Reservoir Confluence with Río Hurtado, in Birth RíoLimarí Reservoir wall La Paloma Confluence with Río Grande, in Birth Río Limarí It flows into Pacific Ocean in the town of Ovalle Area Km2 2.190 1.497

Big Bass

Paloma Reservoir

375

Guatulame Hurtado

Mountain the Andes Mountain the Andes

2.620 2.666

Limarí

Confluence of the Río Hurtado with Río Grande

2.349

Limarí River is formed by the junction of the Rio Grande and Hurtado, the first ofwhich drains the southern part of the hydrographic basin of the Limarí and it has one a hollow more than twice that of the Rio Hurtado. Both rivers originate in parts of the mountains where the peaks reach 4,500 meters above sea level on average and receive an abundant rainfall nival. . The Rio Hurtado has no tributaries of importance and constitutes the single greatest drain on the north side ofthe basin Limarí. In its lower course is called the Reservoir Recoleta, with useful capacity of 100 million m³. The Rio Grande receives a number of important tributaries, among which include: the Rio Rapel (with its tributaries Palomo and Molles), River Mostazal and River Guatulame (with its tributaries Combarbala, Pama and Cogoti). Guatulame runoff is regulated by Dam Cogoti 150 million m3capacity. At the confluence of the Rio Grande Guatulame is the Embalse La Paloma, with a volume of 750 million m3 regulation.

TRILAT PROJECT – 2009

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT COURSE

LS / CUAS / PUCV

The rivers Grande and Hurtado join approximately 4 kms upstream from Ovalle's city. From the confluence it takes the name of Rio Limarí, which after crossing about 60 kms ends to the sea in the locality namedTop Limarí. Between Ovalle's city and his river mouth, the Rio Limarí receives two tributaries of little importance, they are the marshs Ingenio for the north and Punitaqui for the south, taking both their origins in the Cordillera de la Costa. Ovalle From seaward, Limarí River runs wide open valleys, terraced and repeatedly extended, where they have very good farmland. While approaching the sea,the valley narrows considerably and its water supply by a channel of about 500 m. wide. Climatology Regional Climatology Several are the factors that determine the climate of Chile, inside which the most important are the latitude, the height, the atmospheric currents and the oceanic currents. In Coquimbo's Region the principal factors that determine the climate are the anticyclone of the...