River Course
Laguna Conococha, at an altitude of 4050 m above sea level and at 10°07′42″S 77°16′59″W / 10.12833°S 77.28306°W / -10.12833; -77.28306, is considered the headwaters of the Rio Santa. Laguna Conococha itself is fed by small streams from the Cordillera Negra in the west and the snowcapped Cordillera Blanca in the east. The main tributary of the lake is Rio Tuco which has its source in Laguna Tuco (9°56′40″S 77°11′44″W / 9.94444°S 77.19556°W / -9.94444; -77.19556) circa 5,000 m above sea level at one of the glacier tongues of Nevado de Tuco.
The Santa River emerges from Laguna Conococha and for 200 km runs in a northerly direction between the Cordillera Negra in the west and the Cordillera Blanca in the east, forming the fertile Callejón de Huaylas. At 2,000 m above seal level the river changes its course to a westerly direction, squeezing through the narrow gorge of Cañon del Pato ("Duck's Canyon") before it finally breaks through the coastal ridges.
During the dry season from June to November, the Santa River provides only a little water for irrigation, drinking water and hydroelectric power. A couple of water reservoirs have been established to control the fluctuation of the river. Upstream of the hydroelectric power plant of Huallanca, the Río Santa watershed covers an area of 4,900 km², downstream another 7,300 km².
The river's mouth, after the river runs a total length of 347 km, is at 8°58′21″S 78°38′19″W / 8.97250°S 78.63861°W / -8.97250; -78.63861 near Santa, 10 km north of the coastal town of Chimbote. In 1984, gold dust was discovered in the mouth of Río Santa which caused a regional gold fever among the rural population.
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