The Mantaro River ( Spanish : Río Mantaro , Quechua : Hatunmayu ) is a long river running through the central region of Peru . Its Quechua name means "great river". The word "Mantaro" may be a word originally from the Asháninka language , who live downstream along the Ene River . The Mantaro, along with the Apurimac River , are the sources of the Amazon River , depending on the criteria used for definition.
15-553: The river nominally has its source at Lake Junin , but tributaries above Lake Junin extend as much as 70 km farther upstream, for a total length of 809 km. The named tributaries of the river are the Cunas, which enters the Mantaro at regional capital Huancayo, and the Kachimayu , which joins in near the city of Ayacucho . The upper Mantaro is 432 km long, extending from Lake Junin to
30-523: Is abundant but consists of few species, including introduced species . The introduced trout have been implicated in the decline of the endemic frogs. Pasco Province The Pasco Province is one of the three provinces that make up the Pasco Region in Peru . The capital of this province is the city Cerro de Pasco . The Waqurunchu mountain range traverses the province. One of the highest mountains of
45-424: Is found nearby. Three Orestias pupfish, O. empyraeus , O. gymnota and O. polonorum , and the catfish Trichomycterus oroyae are endemic to the lake basin and its vicinity (including associated streams, rivers and smaller lakes). Lake Junin is surrounded by emergent vegetation , which in some places can reach 6 km (3.7 mi) wide and become so dense that it is impenetrable. The fish fauna
60-613: Is the largest lake entirely within Peruvian territory. Even though Lake Titicaca has a much larger area, its eastern half is located on Bolivian territory. Lake Junin is an important birdwatching destination in the country. Lake Junin is located in the Andean highlands of central Peru. Most of the lake is in the Junin Province of the Junin Region , but its northwestern tip belongs to
75-591: The Junin rail ( Laterallus (jamaicensis) tuerosi ), the Junin grebe ( Podiceps taczanowskii ) and the Junin white-tufted grebe ( Rollandia rolland morrisoni ). Two endangered species of frogs in the genus Telmatobius are restricted to the vicinity of the lake, although only one of these, the entirely aquatic Lake Junin frog ( T. macrostomus ), is found in the lake itself, whereas the Amable Maria frog ( T. brachydactylus )
90-622: The Pasco Province of the Pasco Region . The surface elevation of the lake is located at 4,082.7 m (13,395 ft) above sea level. The lake is on the upper reaches of the Mantaro River within the Amazon basin . There is a hydroelectric power station which regulates the water level of the lake at the outflow of the lake, through the Upamayo Dam . In years of abundant rains, fluctuations in
105-669: The Pasco Region . The river belongs to the hydrographic basin of the Amazon River. Its principal tributaries are the Cunas River , the Vilca/Moya River, the Ichhu River, and the Kachimayu . The river runs generally southeast through south-central Peru. Its source, Lake Junin is 4,082.7 m in elevation, while its mouth lies at a mere 440m above sea level. This gives the river an incredibly steep gradient of nearly 5m/km, sufficient to carve
120-490: The "true" source of the Amazon. Since 1933 there has been an inflow of mining residues into the lake, which has adversely affected the fish and bird fauna in parts of the lake. Sewage coming from the towns of Junin and Carhuamayo also pollutes the lake. These types of pollution are contributing to the natural eutrophication process of this wetland. Lake Junin is home to three endemic birds that all are seriously threatened:
135-885: The Kachimayu inflow while the lower river shown on the map is 307 km long. The river runs through the provinces of Junín , Yauli , Jauja , Concepción and Huancayo in the Junín Region , then through the Huancavelica Region and the Ayacucho Region . The river then returns to the Junín Region in Satipo Province , where it unites with the Apurimac River to form the Ene River . Its hydrographic basin also includes some of
150-566: The Mantaro as the true longest upstream source feeding into the Amazon Basin. The new measurements add approximately 75–92 km to the original Amazon River length. Lake Junin Lake Junin ( IPA: [xuˈnin] ; Spanish Lago Junín , named after the nearby town of Junin ) or Chinchaycocha (possibly from Quechua chincha, chinchay north, northern, chinchay ocelot , qucha lake, lagoon, "northern lake" or "ocelot lake")
165-646: The furthest upstream Amazon extension. The definition for the distinction used at the time of survey was based on absolute length which the tributary added to the river, given a continuous and year-round flow of water. With the Tablachaca Dam built in 1974, a portion of the Mantaro River suffers a dry spell for five months of the year, previously excluding it from the list of source eligibility. However, research published in 2014 challenged this existing definition, and used advanced imaging and topographic data to establish
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#1732844421980180-566: The impressive Mantaro Valley . This valley is the most important food source for the capital Lima . The Mantaro Hydroelectric Complex is located in the Tayacaja Province of the Huancavelica Region , and produces 31% of all electrical energy generated in Peru. The first complete paddling descent of the river from the source was accomplished by Rocky Contos and James Duesenberry in May 2012. Previously,
195-527: The lower 140 km of the river were descended in kayak and later cataraft by Richard Pethigal in 2002. The lower section of the river is known for Sendero Luminoso camps. In 1971, an expedition led by the National Geographic Society cited the Apurímac River as the designated headwaters of the Amazon River , with a follow-up expedition in 2000 confirming the connected Lake Ticlla Cocha as
210-462: The province is Waqurunchu at 5,748 m (18,858 ft). Other mountain are listed below: The province has an area of 4,758.57 square kilometers (1,837.29 sq mi) and is divided into thirteen districts. The province has an approximate population of 123,015 inhabitants ( 2017 ). 10°41′24″S 76°16′12″W / 10.69000°S 76.27000°W / -10.69000; -76.27000 This Pasco Region geography article
225-420: The water level are moderate, but in years of drought water level may drop 1.5–2 m (4.9–6.6 ft) leaving extensive areas exposed. The deepest part of the lake, which is located about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) off Huayre, is 12 m (39 ft) deep. The headwaters of streams flowing into Lake Junin have been named as the "most distant" source of the Amazon River , one of the three places proposed as
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