Saja (river)

The Saja is a river in the autonomous community of Cantabria, northern Spain. It flows into the Cantabric sea. Part of its course is inside the Saja-Besaya Natural Park

Saja
Pozo del Amo reserve
Location
Country	Spain
State	Cantabria
Region	Saja-Nansa
City	Torrelavega
Physical characteristics
Source	Northern Sierra del Cordel
• location	Mancomunidad Campoo-Cabuérniga, Cantabria, Spain
• elevation	1,700 m (5,600 ft)
Mouth	Ría San Martín de la Arena
• location	Suances and Miengo, Cantabria, Spain
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	67 km (42 mi)
Basin size	442 km2 (171 sq mi)
Discharge
• location	mouth
• average	12.1 m3/s (430 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Diablo (river), Navas del Rey
• right	Argoza, Bayones, Besaya

The Saja's source is at 1,700 meters above sea level and it flows rapidly through a steep V-shaped basin during the first kilometers. Past the village of Fresneda the valley starts to open up and it develops a wide alluvial plain in the Cabuerniga valley.

Regarding the ecologic conservation of the river, it is good from the source to the Santa Lucía bridge, from when it begins to show important alterations, and being catalogued as moderately conserved. Down the confluence with the Besaya the alterations are already serious or very serious, being catalogued as badly conserved.^[1]

The Saja-Besaya Natural Park, abundant in beech trees

See also

• List of rivers of Spain