Río Grande (Río Porce)

Rio Grande
Río Grande above the Riogrande II reservoir
Data
location	Colombia
River system	Río Magdalena
Drain over	Río Porce  → Río Nechí  → Río Cauca  → Río Magdalena  → Caribbean Sea
Headwaters	25 km north-northwest of Santa Rosa de Osos 6 ° 50 ′ 36 "  N , 75 ° 35 ′ 3"  W
Source height	approx.  2800  m
Association with	Río Medellín to Río Porce Coordinates: 6 ° 33 ′ 14 ″  N , 75 ° 12 ′ 33 ″  W 6 ° 33 ′ 14 ″  N , 75 ° 12 ′ 33 ″  W.
Mouth height	1052  m
Height difference	approx. 1748 m
Bottom slope	approx. 16 ‰
length	approx. 110 km
Catchment area	approx. 1300 km²
Left tributaries	Río Chocó
Right tributaries	Río Chico
Reservoirs flowed through	Riogrande II
Communities	Aragón, Entrerríos
Riogrande II reservoir

The Río Grande is the 110 km long left source river of the Río Porce in north central Colombia , in the Department of Antioquia . The Río Porce drains an area of ​​approximately 1300 km².

River course

The Río Grande rises 25 km north-northwest of Santa Rosa de Osos at an altitude of about 2800  m . The course of the river lies in the Colombian Central Cordillera north of the city of Medellín . The Río Grande initially flows 70 km in a predominantly south-southeast direction. After 8 kilometers the Río Chocó meets the Río Grande from the left. Aragón is at km 98 and Entrerríos is at 50 km . At river kilometer 38, the Río Grande is dammed by a dam to the Riogrande II reservoir. The Río Chico, which comes from the west, also flows into this . Part of the water is diverted from the reservoir to the south via two underground water pipes. Below the dam, the Río Grande runs mainly in an easterly direction. 8 km below the dam there is a weir where part of the water is diverted to the nearby Quebradona reservoir . A pressure line leads from this to the Riogrande I hydropower plant , which is located at river kilometer 22 on the right bank of the river. Further downstream at river kilometer 17 there is another weir at which part of the river water is fed to the Hidromontañitas hydropower station, which is also underground, via an approximately 4 km long underground pipe. The water is fed back into the river below the power station. Finally, the Río Grande reaches the Río Medellín, which runs further south, with which it joins the Río Porce.

Water use

The Riogrande I (25 MW) and Hidromontañitas (20 MW) hydropower plants are located on the river. A 16.4 km long pipeline runs from the Riogrande II reservoir to the Niquía hydropower plant (21 MW). The water then reaches the Manantiales waterworks via a 4.1 km long pipe , which processes it for the drinking water supply in the Medellín area. A 7 km long aqueduct leads from the Riogrande II reservoir to the La Tasajera hydropower plant (306 MW). Like the Niquía hydropower station, this is a cavern power station not far from the north bank of the Río Medellín . Below the power station, the water enters the Río Medellín.