Río Tomo
| Río Tomo | ||
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| Data | ||
| location | Colombia | |
| River system | Orinoco | |
| Drain over | Orinoco → Atlantic Ocean | |
| muzzle | on the Venezuelan border in the Orinoco Coordinates: 5 ° 20 ′ 43 " N , 67 ° 49 ′ 7" W, 5 ° 20 ′ 43 " N , 67 ° 49 ′ 7" W
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| length | 650 km | |
The Río Tomo is a river that flows through eastern Colombia (Llanos). It has a total length of 650 km and in the first 100 km it shows the character of a typical caños with a width of about 3 to 4 meters and crystal clear water. Only at the height of El Merey does the course of the river enlarge due to the inflow of smaller streams and, above all, an underground spring. No other large tributaries flow into the Río Tomo, but it gradually takes on a cloudy water color. In the further course, the Rio Tomo is 15 to 20 meters wide in the dry season and shows a strongly curvy course, whereby new oxbow lakes and small lagoons are created again and again . In the rainy season, the width of the river can be over 100 meters in some places.
The Río Tomo is not navigable and is subject to strong fluctuations in the water level. Nevertheless, it plays an important role for the regional microeconomy , both as a supplier of food and as a transport route. The Río Tomo is home to great biodiversity ; this affects the body of water as well as its diverse bank areas.
The Río Tomo flows into the Río Orinoco , which also forms the natural eastern border between Colombia and Venezuela . At this point, the river is characterized by numerous rapids , which are caused by large granite blocks in the course of the river.