The Gallegos River (Spanish: Río Gallegos) is a river in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, on whose estuary lies Río Gallegos city, capital of the province. Given that its basin reaches only the fringes of the Andes mountains it classifies as a sub-Andean river.[2]

Gallegos River
Gallegos River
Gallegos River is located in Southern Patagonia
Gallegos River
Location of the mouth
Location
CountryArgentina
Physical characteristics
SourceConfluence of Rubens River with Penitente River or confluence of Penitente River with Turbio River[1]
Mouth 
 • location
Atlantic Ocean
 • coordinates
51°35′40″S 68°58′30″W / 51.59444°S 68.97500°W / -51.59444; -68.97500
Length180 km (110 mi)
Basin size10,120 km2 (3,910 sq mi)[2]

The is contradicting information on where river is actually formed.[1] According to one source it forms at the confluence of the rivers Rubens and Penitente.[1] Yet according to another source Rubens River is just a tributary of Penitente River and Gallegos River originates further downstream at the confluence of the rivers Penitentes and Turbio.[1] After traveling 180 kilometres (112 mi)[citation needed] Gallegos River reaches the Atlantic Coast.

On its way east, after crossing a 200-kilometre (120 mi) wide glaciated canyon, it meets the tributaries Turbio, Cóndor, and Zurdo. In spite of this, the river's stream can be drastically reduced during the dry season.

The river, named after Blasco Gallegos, one of the pilots of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition of 1520, is popular for fly fishing for brown trout, principally by tourists.

Part of the drainage basin of the river lies in Chile's Magallanes Region.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Boris G., Diaz; Monserrat, María Cecilia; Tiberi, Pedro E.; Mardewald, Guillermina; Hofmann, Christian; Caparrós, Leandro; Mattenet, Francisco; Zerpa, Débora; Billoni, Sabrina L.; Martínez, Lorena (2016-12-01). Hidrología superficial de la Región Hidrográfica del río Gallegos (Sur de la provincia de Santa Cruz, Argentina) (Report) (in Spanish). Vol. 8. Informes Científicos - Técnicos UNPA. pp. 136–161.
  2. ^ a b c "Hidrografía Región de Magallanes". Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-03-02.