Medellin River
| Medellin River | ||
 Río Medellín in Medellín |
||
| Data | ||
| location |
 Colombia
|
|
| River system | Río Magdalena | |
| Drain over | Río Porce → Río Nechí → Río Cauca → Río Magdalena → Caribbean Sea | |
| Headwaters | on the Alto de San Miguel, 8 km south-southeast of Caldas 6 ° 1 ′ 52 ″ N , 75 ° 35 ′ 24 ″ W |
|
| Source height | approx. 2200 m | |
| Association with |
Río Grande 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. 1148 m | |
| Bottom slope | approx. 11 ‰ | |
| length | approx. 100 km | |
| Catchment area | 1152 km² | |
| Big cities | Itagüí , Medellín , Bello | |
| Medium-sized cities | Caldas , Sabaneta , Copacabana | |
| Small towns | Girardota , Barbosa | |
The Río Medellín is the approximately 100 km long right source river of the Río Porce in north central Colombia , in the Department of Antioquia .
River course
The course of the Río Medellín lies in the Colombian Central Cordillera . The Río Medellín rises at an altitude of about 2200 m on the Alto de San Miguel , 8 km south-southeast of Caldas . It initially flows west for 5 km before turning north. It flows through the sub-region of Valle de Aburrá . At river kilometer 88 he passes the town of Caldas on the western bank. Then the Río Medellín turns north-northeast and flows through the metropolitan area of Medellín . The river passes through the urban areas of Itagüí , Sabaneta , Medellín, Bello and Copacabana . The river is canalised on this section of the river. Medellín city center is at river kilometer 65. In the lower 55 kilometers, the Río Medellín flows northeast. The small towns of Girardota and Barbosa lie on the lower course of the river . Eventually the Río Medellín meets the Río Grande, which runs further north . Below the union the river is called "Río Porce".
Hydrology
The catchment area of the Río Medellín covers 1152 km². Due to water supply lines from the Río Grande, the Río Medellín carries more water than this at its confluence.
Water quality
In the past, wastewater from the Medellín metropolitan area ended up in the river untreated.
