Chixoy River

Chixoy River
Native name	Río Negro
Location
Country	Guatemala
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Quiché Department, Guatemala
• coordinates	14°59′07″N 91°13′09″W / 14.985389°N 91.219165°W / 14.985389; -91.219165
• elevation	2,000 m (6,600 ft)
Mouth
• location	Confluence of Usumacinta River & Pasión River
• coordinates	16°28′52″N 90°32′35″W / 16.481060°N 90.543121°W / 16.481060; -90.543121Coordinates: 16°28′52″N 90°32′35″W / 16.481060°N 90.543121°W / 16.481060; -90.543121
• elevation	160 m (520 ft)
Basin size	1,250 km2 (480 sq mi)[1]
Discharge
• average	551 m3/s (19,500 cu ft/s) at San Agustín Chixoy

The Chixoy River or Río Negro is a river in Guatemala. The river is called Río Negro from its sources in the highlands of Huehuetenango and El Quiché until it reaches the Chixoy hydroelectric dam (located at

15°16′54″N 90°29′27″W / 15.281536°N 90.490952°W / 15.281536; -90.490952 (Chixoy Hidroelectric Dam)), where the Río Salamá and Rio Carchela converge with the Río Negro. After the Chixoy dam, the river is called Río Chixoy and flows northwards, marking the departmental limits between Alta Verapaz and El Quiché, until it reaches the border with Mexico. From there on it continues along the border for another 113 kilometres (70 mi) as the Salinas river until it finally converges with the Río la Pasión (at

 WikiMiniAtlas

16°28′52″N 90°32′39″W / 16.481193°N 90.544167°W / 16.481193; -90.544167 (Convergence Salinas and Pasión rivers)) to form the Usumacinta river which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Chixoy river's water discharge of 551 cubic metres per second (19,500 cu ft/s) is Guatemala's highest. This was one of the main reasons for selecting this river for the construction of the Chixoy Hydroelectric dam. Guatemala's National Institute for Electricity (INDE) is planning the construction of another hydroelectric dam on the Chixoy river. The proposed location of the Xalalá hydroelectric dam is situated at

15°41′34″N 90°47′11″W / 15.692833°N 90.786361°W / 15.692833; -90.786361 (Planned location Xalalá Hidroelectric Dam).^[2] in the municipality of Ixcán, El Quiché.

See also[]

• Chixoy hydroelectric dam
• Río Negro Massacre

References[]

External links[]

• Map of Guatemala including the river