Guaviare River

The Guaviare is a tributary of the Orinoco in Colombia. It flows together with the upper Orinoco (until here also called Río Parágua), which it clearly surpasses in length (altogether about 1,760 km) and water flow. Thus, the Guaviare is hydrologically the main stream of the Orinoco system.^[1]

Guaviare
The Guaviare River as seen from the air
Location
Country	Colombia
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Confluence of Ariari and Guayabero Rivers
• coordinates	2°34′52.9212″N 72°46′17.0328″W
• elevation	178 m (584 ft)
2nd source	Ariari
• location	Cordillera Oriental
• coordinates	3°54′31.698″N 74°6′30.2004″W
• elevation	4,040 m (13,250 ft)
3rd source	Guayabero
• location	Cordillera Oriental
• coordinates	3°31′36.5952″N 74°28′27.3684″W
• elevation	3,080 m (10,100 ft)
Mouth
• location	Orinoco
• coordinates	4°4′26.5656″N 67°43′14.8008″W
• elevation	77 m (253 ft)
Length	1,760 km (1,090 mi) - Guaviare–Guayabero[1]
Basin size	151,606.9 km2 (58,535.8 sq mi)[2]
Discharge
• location	Near mouth
• average	(Period: 1926–2011)7,529 m3/s (265,900 cu ft/s)[3]
Discharge
• location	Coayare (3°57′30.3876″N 67°50′5.748″W; Basin size: 138,899.1 km2 (53,629.2 sq mi)
• average	(Period: 1985–2015)6,778.9 m3/s (239,390 cu ft/s)[4]
• minimum	(Year: 1994)826 m3/s (29,200 cu ft/s)[4]
• maximum	(Year: 1988)15,906 m3/s (561,700 cu ft/s)[4]
Discharge
• location	San José del Guaviare (Basin size: 36,287.3 km2 (14,010.6 sq mi)
• average	(Period: 1971–2000)1,594.8 m3/s (56,320 cu ft/s)[2]
Basin features
Progression	Orinoco → Atlantic Ocean
River system	Orinoco River
Tributaries
• left	Ariari, Caño El Melón, Ovejas, Caño Jabón, Siare, Iteviare, Caño Cumaral, Uvá
• right	Guayabero, Caño Macú, Caño Araguato, Caño Mina, Caño Minisiare, Inírida, Atabapo

The Guaviare has its source in two other rivers, the Ariari and the Guayabero, which in turn have their own sources in the eastern part of the Andes. At 1,760 km (1,090 mi) long, it is the longest tributary of the Orinoco and is navigable for 630 km (390 mi) of its total length. The Guaviare is considered the border between the Llanos and the Amazon Rainforest. Its main tributary is the Inírida River.

Discharge

Average, minimum and maximum discharge at Coayare (Guayare), 3°57′30.3876″N 67°50′5.748″W (Lower Guaviare). Period: 1985–2015.

Year	Discharge (m3/s)
	Min	Mean	Max
1985	1,206.5	6,426.17	12,716
1986	2,006.7	6,687.58	12,885
1987	1,620.4	7,063.17	12,664
1988	2,140	6,415.83	15,906
1989	2,674	6,843.67	15,800
1990	2,237	7,433.17	15,274
1991	850	6,999.33	14,910
1992	964	5,893.83	13,866
1993	1,031	7,613.92	13,229
1994	826	7,025.67	13,722
1995	1,663	6,014.08	12,689
1996	1,565	6,928.83	13,413
1997	2,232	6,634.5	11,841
1998	2,342	7,370.42	13,281
1999	2,775	7,311.92	11,574
2000	1,605	6,894.33	14,291
2001	1,835	6,289.17	14,500
2002	1,081	5,716.25	13,978
2003	921.1	7,002.83	13,319
2004	938.8	7,087.42	14,483
2005	1,381	6,411.08	14,500
2006	1,598	7,227	14,256
2007	962.4	7,149.92	14,201
2008	1,177	6,649.83	13,860
2009	1,795	5,806.42	14,465
2010	891.6	6,587.75	13,270
2011	1,356	7,036	13,030
2012	1,780	7,183.33	15,157
2013	1,111	6,941.17	14,100
2014	1,016	7,050.83	14,830
2015	1,613	6,449.67	14,500
Avg.	1,522.4	6,778.9	13,877.4

^[4]

Average discharge

Period	Discharge	Ref.
Near mouth 4°4′26.5656″N 67°43′14.8008″W
1926–2011	7,529 m3/s (265,900 cu ft/s)	[3]
1971–2000	8,157.9 m3/s (288,090 cu ft/s)	[2]
1974–2008	8,416 m3/s (297,200 cu ft/s)	[5]
	7,400 m3/s (260,000 cu ft/s) 8,200 m3/s (290,000 cu ft/s)
Coayare (Guayare) 3°57′30.3876″N 67°50′5.748″W
1971–2000	7,254.9 m3/s (256,200 cu ft/s)	[2]
1991–2020	7,389 m3/s (260,900 cu ft/s)	[6]
1985–2015	6,778.9 m3/s (239,390 cu ft/s)	[4]
	6,700 m3/s (240,000 cu ft/s)
	6,887 m3/s (243,200 cu ft/s)
San José del Guaviare
1971–2000	1,594.8 m3/s (56,320 cu ft/s)	[2]
	1,930 m3/s (68,000 cu ft/s)

Sediment load at mouth ca 30 million ton/year.^[7]

Tributaries

The main tributaries from the mouth:^[2]

Left tributary	Right tributary	Length (km)	Basin size (km2)	*Average discharge (m3/s)
Guaviare		1,760	151,606.9	8,157.9
Lower Guaviare
	Atabapo	185	12,531.3	895
	Inírida	1,419	53,816.9	2,948.4
Uvá			14,813.9	782.6
Middle Guaviare
	Caño Minisiare		2,335.5	119.3
	Caño Mina		381.9	20
Caño Cumaral			391.5	21.3
Iteviare			4,618	221.3
Siare			4,574.5	197.9
Caño Araguato			712.3	38.5
	Caño Macú		781.1	37
Caño Yamus			433	18.3
Caño Jabón			1,246.7	57.3
Ovejas			1,639.1	88.1
Caño El Melón			775.9	41
Upper Guaviare
Ariari			11,638.6	600.3
	Guayabero	540	24,345.9	986.2

^*1971–2000