Río Paz
| Río Paz | ||
 The Río Paz is the border river between Guatemala (right) and El Salvador (left) |
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| Data | ||
| location | Guatemala , El Salvador | |
| River system | Río Paz | |
| source |
Sierra Quezada , Jutiapa Department , ( Guatemala ) 14 ° 22 ′ 6 ″ N , 90 ° 2 ′ 13 ″ W |
|
| Source height | 1700 m | |
| muzzle |
Pacific coordinates: 13 ° 46 ′ 16 " N , 90 ° 10 ′ 57" W 13 ° 46 ′ 16 " N , 90 ° 10 ′ 57" W. |
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| Mouth height | 0 m | |
| Height difference | 1700 m | |
| Bottom slope | 13 ‰ | |
| length | 134 km | |
| Catchment area | 2661 km² | |
| Drain |
MNQ MHQ |
5 m³ / s 100 m³ / s |
The only 134 km long, but year-round water-bearing Río Paz forms the border between Guatemala and El Salvador .
geography
The Río Paz rises in the mountains of the Sierra Quezada near the extinct volcano Amayo in the Guatemalan department of Jutiapa . From there it first flows south-east, but then turns in a south-westerly direction and forms the border between Guatemala and El Salvador approximately at the level of Chalchuapa .
Climates
Despite its comparatively short course, the Río Paz crosses three climatic zones: wooded areas in the headwaters, bush savannas in the middle reaches and tropical sugar cane plantations and mangrove forests in the estuary area.
economy
On the semi-arid banks in the upper and middle reaches of the Río Paz there is hardly any agriculture. Heavy rains - combined with heavy rubble - often swell the otherwise sluggishly flowing river within minutes and have also made the construction of bridges and power plants almost impossible so far. However, two medium-sized hydropower plants with 66 and 72 megawatts maximum output have been in the planning stage since 2009.