Napo River
River in Ecuador, Peru
Napo river The Napo River to the east of
Coca Countries Source • location Confluence of Jatunyaçu and Anzu, Ecuador • coordinates 1°2′48.6204″S 77°48′27.4392″W / 1.046839000°S 77.807622000°W / -1.046839000; -77.807622000 • elevation 430 m (1,410 ft)
2nd source • location Jatunyaçu–Verdeyaçu, Andes , Ecuador • coordinates 0°38′22.6248″S 78°3′29.1924″W / 0.639618000°S 78.058109000°W / -0.639618000; -78.058109000 • elevation 3,419 m (11,217 ft)
3rd source • location Jatunyaçu–Mulatos, Andes , Ecuador • coordinates 0°53′55.0464″S 78°24′32.8824″W / 0.898624000°S 78.409134000°W / -0.898624000; -78.409134000 • elevation 3,871 m (12,700 ft)
4th source • location Anzu River, Andes , Ecuador • coordinates 1°23′30.408″S 78°4′48.7668″W / 1.39178000°S 78.080213000°W / -1.39178000; -78.080213000 • elevation 1,430 m (4,690 ft)
Mouth Amazon River • location
70 km (43 mi) downstream from Iquitos , Loreto Region , Peru • coordinates
3°27′28″S 72°43′3″W / 3.45778°S 72.71750°W / -3.45778; -72.71750 Length 1,130 km (700 mi)[1] Basin size 103,307.79 km2 (39,887.36 sq mi)[2] [3] Discharge • location Francisco de Orellana, Maynas , Loreto Region (near mouth) • average (Period: 1971–2000)7,147.8 m3 /s (252,420 cu ft/s)[3]
Discharge • location Mazán (Bella Vista ), Loreto Region , Peru - 79,76 km upstream of mouth (basin size 100,518 km2 (38,810 sq mi)[2] • average (Period: 1991–2009)6,660 m3 /s (235,000 cu ft/s)[5]
(Period: 1991/09–2023/08)7,000 m3 /s (250,000 cu ft/s)[4] • minimum MNQ (average): 3,250 m3 /s (115,000 cu ft/s)
NNQ (minimum): 498.6 m3 /s (17,610 cu ft/s)(2016/02)[4] • maximum MHQ (average): 11,200 m3 /s (400,000 cu ft/s)
HHQ (maximum) 15,820 m3 /s (559,000 cu ft/s)(2015/07), 15,200 m3 /s (540,000 cu ft/s)(2023/04)[4]
Discharge • location Santa Clotilde , Maynas , Loreto Region , Peru - 256.2 km upstream of mouth (basin size 85,770 km2 (33,120 sq mi) • average (Period: 2002–2011)5,895 m3 /s (208,200 cu ft/s)[2]
Discharge • location Nueva Rocafuerte , Ecuador - 574.1 km upstream of mouth (basin size 26,879.7 km2 (10,378.3 sq mi)[6] • average (Period: 2001–2009)2,032 m3 /s (71,800 cu ft/s)[2]
Discharge • location Puerto Francisco de Orellana , Ecuador - 782 km upstream of mouth (basin size: 12,343 km2 (4,766 sq mi) • average (Period: 2001–2009)1,105 m3 /s (39,000 cu ft/s)[2]
Tributaries • left Jatunyaçu, Misahualli, Payamino, Coca , Aguarico , Tamboyaçu • right Anzu, Llocullón, Tiputini , Yasuní , Anahiri, Curaray , Tacshacuraray, Mazán
The Napo River (Spanish : Río Napo ) is a tributary to the Amazon River that rises in Ecuador on the flanks of the east Andean volcanoes of Antisana , Sincholagua and Cotopaxi .
The total length is 1,075 km (668 mi).[7] The river drains an area of 103,307.79 km2 (39,887.36 sq mi). The mean annual discharge is 6,660 m3 /s (235,000 cu ft/s)[6] (Mazán ).
Geography
Village along west bank of Napo River in Peru, a few miles above confluence with Amazon. The land visible beyond the waterway is an island in the river.
Before it reaches the plains it receives a great number of small streams from impenetrable, saturated and much broken mountainous districts, where the dense and varied vegetation seems to fight for every piece of ground. From the north it is joined by the Coca River , having its sources in the gorges of Cayambe volcano on the equator , and also a powerful river, the Aguarico having its headwaters between Cayambe and the Colombia frontier.
From the west, it receives a secondary tributary, the Curaray , from the Andean slopes, between Cotopaxi and the Tungurahua volcano . From its Coca branch to the mouth of the Curaray the Napo is full of snags and shelving sandbanks and throws out numerous canoes among jungle-tangled islands, which in the wet season are flooded, giving the river an immense width. From the Coca to the Amazon it runs through a forested plain where not a hill is visible from the river - its uniformly level banks being only interrupted by swamps and lagoons .
From the Amazon the Napo is navigable for river craft up to its Curaray branch, a distance of about 216 mi (348 km), and perhaps a bit further; thence, by painful canoe navigation, its upper waters may be ascended as far as Santa Rosa , the usual point of embarkation for any venturesome traveller who descends from the Quito tableland. The Coca river may be penetrated as far up as its middle course, where it is jammed between two mountain walls, in a deep canyon, along which it dashes over high falls and numerous reefs. This is the stream made famous by the expedition of Gonzalo Pizarro .
Hydrometric stations on the Napo River:
Station
River kilometer (rkm)
Elevation (m)
Drainage basin
(km2 )
Average discharge
(m3 /s)
Hydro-SHEDS Archived 2024-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
SO-HYBAM Archived 2023-09-08 at the Wayback Machine
Lower Napo
Francisco de Orellana
0
78
103,307.79
7,147.8
6,611
Mazán
79.76
85
100,518
7,033
6,464.5
Bellavista
194.51
105
90,305.3
6,416.1
–
Santa Clotilde
256.24
113
85,770
6,124.4
5,700
Campo Serio
421.35
140
50,342.9
3,430.3
–
Cabo Pantoja
546.8
166
44,698.2
3,007.5
3,280
Nuevo Rocafuerte
574.1
173
27,489.4
1,937.3
2,032
Pañacocha
673
203
21,731.4
1,552.1
–
Upper Napo
Puerto Francisco de Orellana
782
243
12,343
1,016
1,105
Puerto Napo
950
427
4,182.4
260.9
377.6
Discharge
Napo River at Bellavista (km ~79,8) average (Q), dominante (Qd ) discharge (m3 /s) and sediment load (S – ton/year). Period from 1991/09–2009/08:[8]
Water year
Q
S
Qd
Water year
Q
S
Qd
1991/1992
5,667
28.608
6,009
2001/2002
5,979
32.431
6,335
1992/1993
7,104
47.718
7,447
2002/2003
5,669
32.154
6,312
1993/1994
8,013
67.159
8,583
2003/2004
6,148
41.916
7,054
1994/1995
6,055
34.801
6,525
2004/2005
6,456
37.953
6,767
1995/1996
5,956
34.017
6,463
2005/2006
6,143
34.77
6,523
1996/1997
6,262
38.258
6,790
2006/2007
6,535
40.344
6,942
1997/1998
9,839
105.956
10,354
2007/2008
6,615
40.832
6,977
1998/1999
6,839
51.48
7,686
2008/2009
7,428
52.504
7,749
1999/2000
6,725
49.735
7,576
2000/2001
6,452
38.527
6,810
Average
6,660
44.953
7,161
Napo River at Bellavista (km ~79,8) average, minimum and maximum discharge (m3 /s). Period from 2009/09 to 2023/08:[9] [4]
Water year
Mean
Min
Max
Water year
Mean
Min
Max
2009/2010
7,177
2016/2017
7,273.6
3,200
11,150
2010/2011
5,768.2
1,649
10,860
2017/2018
7,284
1,550
13,500
2011/2012
7,447.4
2,894
12,230
2018/2019
8,234
2,850
12,200
2012/2013
7,452.7
3,102
11,230
2019/2020
8,100
3,100
12,700
2013/2014
8,652
3,230
13,700
2020/2021
8,410
3,620
14,000
2014/2015
9,336
4,810
13,450
2021/2022
6,855
2,078
13,500
2015/2016
5,761
498.6
10,200
2022/2023
5,849
1,201
15,200
Average (2009–2023)
7,400
2,413
11,709
Napo River at Bellavista (km ~79,8) average, maximum, minimum and multiannual average (normal) discharge (m3 /s) and anomaly (%):[10] [11]
Mean
Max
Min
Normal
(%)
2010/09 – 2011/08
SEP
2,620.5
3,089
1,969
5,121.2
–49
OCT
2,413.5
3,061
1,649
4,898.6
–51
NOV
3,818.7
4,778
2,696
5,595.1
–32
DEC
4,774.1
6,240
4,148
5,660.6
–16
JAN
3,604.2
5,001
2,174
4,580.7
–21
FEB
2,480.7
3,478
1,920
4,386.9
–43
MAR
4,753.4
7,127
3,790
5,824.1
–18
APR
9,206.8
10,240
7,865
7,502.4
23
MAY
9,561.5
10,040
8,348
8,941.3
7
JUN
10,193.8
10,860
8,821
9,422.9
8
JUL
9,846.3
10,590
7,904
8,844.7
11
AUG
5,944.6
8,658
3,758
6,610.8
–10
Mean
5,768.2
6,930
4,587
6,449.1
–12
2011/09 – 2012/08
SEP
4,551.3
5,441
3,757
5,121.2
11
OCT
5,344.9
6,995
2,894
4,898.6
9
NOV
4,427
6,878
3,023
5,595.1
–21
DEC
6,536.8
9,160
5,205
5,660.6
15
JAN
7,998.7
9,501
4,868
4,580.7
75
FEB
6,536.8
8,302
5,155
4,386.9
49
MAR
9,557.2
12,150
5,417
5,824.1
64
APR
11,843.7
12,230
10,870
7,502.4
58
MAY
10,322.7
10,790
9,702
8,941.3
15
JUN
8,878.8
9,961
7,011
9,422.9
–6
JUL
8,189.3
9,228
7,197
8,844.7
–7
AUG
5,182
7,605
3,975
6,612.4
–22
Mean
7,447.4
9,020
5,756
6,449.2
15.5
2012/09 – 2013/08
SEP
5,037
7,822
3,249
5,096
–1
OCT
5,113
6,457
4,632
4,918
4
NOV
4,130
5,660
3,102
5,567
–26
DEC
4,755
6,838
3,568
5,698
–17
JAN
7,589
9,183
3,854
4,723
61
FEB
5,851
9,071
4,170
4,465
31
MAR
10,060
10,740
9,127
5,973
68
APR
9,405
10610
8,675
7,683
22
MAY
8,322
10,570
6,932
8,999
–8
JUN
10,495
11,230
9,743
9,400
12
JUL
9,675
10,410
8,402
8,817
10
AUG
9,001
9,776
8,386
6,551
37
Mean
7,452.7
9,030
6,153
6,490.8
15
Napo River at Bellavista (km ~79,8) mean annual and multiannual average discharge
Period of data
Multiannual average discharge
References
1930–2006
6,464 m3 /s (228,300 cu ft/s)
Evaluación hidrológica de las cuencas amazonicas peruanas Archived 2022-06-15 at the Wayback Machine (HiBam/Senamhi/IRD, octubre 2011)
1989–2010
6,360 m3 /s (225,000 cu ft/s); Q-dominante 6,865 m3 /s (242,400 cu ft/s)
Hydrodinamic and sediment transport modelling in a bend of Napo amazonian river: Morphodynamics and infrastructure implications Archived 2022-03-28 at the Wayback Machine (IAHR, 2015)
1991–2009
6,660 m3 /s (235,000 cu ft/s)
Estudio Binacional de Navegabilidad del Río Napo (Ecuador-Perú) Archived 2021-11-11 at the Wayback Machine
1997–2015
6,734.2 m3 /s (237,820 cu ft/s)
Assessing the performance of global hydrological models for capturing peak river flows in the Amazon basin (2019) Archived 2023-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
2000–2011
6,461 m3 /s (228,200 cu ft/s)
Línea Base Ambiental (Lahmeyer Agua Energia S.A.)
2001–2012
6,758 m3 /s (238,700 cu ft/s)
Preliminary Analysis of Potential for River Hydrokinetic Energy Technologies in the Amazon Basin Archived 2022-01-21 at the Wayback Machine
2001–2009
6,369 m3 /s (224,900 cu ft/s)
Estudio Binacional de Navegabilidad del Río Napo (Ecuador-Perú) Archived 2021-11-11 at the Wayback Machine
2003–2009
6,855 m3 /s (242,100 cu ft/s); Q-min 1,875 m3 /s (66,200 cu ft/s); Q-max 13,020 m3 /s (460,000 cu ft/s)
Modelado hidrologico distribuido de la Cuenca Amazonica Peruana utilizando preciptación obtenida por satelite Archived 2021-08-01 at the Wayback Machine , 2013
2004–2010
6,609 m3 /s (233,400 cu ft/s)
Suspended sediment dynamics in the Amazon River of Peru Archived 2022-03-28 at the Wayback Machine
2001–2005
6,976 m3 /s (246,400 cu ft/s)
Sediment budget of the Napo River, Amazon basin, Ecuador and Peru Archived 2021-10-28 at the Wayback Machine
2004–2006
6,267 m3 /s (221,300 cu ft/s)
Sediment budget of the Napo River, Amazon basin, Ecuador and Peru Archived 2021-10-28 at the Wayback Machine
2016–2017
9,338 m3 /s (329,800 cu ft/s); Q-min 4,654 m3 /s (164,400 cu ft/s); Q-max 13,200 m3 /s (470,000 cu ft/s)
Hydrological modeling of the Peruvian-Ecuadorian Amazon Basin using GPM-IMERG satellite-based precipitation dataset [permanent dead link ] (2017)
Confluence of Amazon River: 8,936 m3 /s (315,600 cu ft/s)
Inventario y evaluación nacional de aguas superficiales (ONERN, 1980)
Bellavista: 7,032.018 m3 /s (248,333.4 cu ft/s); Confluence of Amazon River: 7,147.761 m3 /s (252,420.8 cu ft/s)
Rivers Network Archived 2022-02-21 at the Wayback Machine (2020)
Tributaries
List of the major tributaries of the Napo River (from the mouth upwards):[3]
Left
tributary
Right
tributary
Length (km)
Basin size (km2 )
* Average discharge (m3 /s)
Napo
1,089.03
103,307.79
7,147.8
Lower Napo
Sucusari
590.7
39.8
Mazán
509.11
7,721.3
532.9
Yanayaçu
1,340
89
Zapote
140.8
9.3
Papaya
278
17.5
Tacshacuraray
203.1
2,760.5
196.5
Huirina
610
33.2
Tamboryaçu
4,958
327.2
Pucara
827
50.4
Curaray
772.77
26,704.7
2,044.4
Tarapoto
679
46.1
Gomez
424.8
32.6
Loro Caparin
794.1
61.8
Anshiri
2,682.5
202.1
Santa Maria
1,471.5
107.8
Aguarico
502.5
13,404.5
889.3
Yasuní
238.5
3,386.8
237.7
Tiputini
380.4
4,423.1
320.2
Huiririma
13.2
Cariyuturi
253.5
18.3
Pañyaçu
80
876.7
68.4
Indillana
71.8
636.3
51.5
Itaya
120.6
9.6
Jivino
121.7
707.9
56
Blanco
249
17.6
Coca
245.1
5,308.1
338.9
Upper Napo
Payamino
110.4
2,012.6
171.2
Suyunoyaçu
198.8
16.8
Suno
96.7
1,891.4
161.2
Arajuno
835.9
97.9
Pusuno
160.2
15.2
Misahuallí
68.7
1,659.6
170.6
Jatunyaçu
107
3,221.2
302.7
Anzu
69.7
817.1
75
* Period: 1971–2000
See also
References