The course of the Atuel near San Rafael, Mendoza.

The Atuel River is a river located mainly in the south of the Argentine province of Mendoza, with its last part in La Pampa. It is a tributary of the Desaguadero River. San Rafael is a city in the central region of the province of Mendoza, Argentina, 240 km from the provincial capital. ... Argentina is subdivided in 23 provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 federal district (capital federal). ... Mendoza is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. ... La Pampa is a province of Argentina, located in the Pampas in the centre of the country. ... The Desaguadero River is the general name of a river in western Argentina that receives a number of different names on its path of 1,515 kilometres, being its most important section named that way. ...

The Atuel is the longest river in Mendoza. It is born in the Andes range, at 3,250 m above mean sea level, from the glacial Atuel Lake. It has a mean flow of 31.8 m³/s, and its drainage basin covers 13,000 km². Its volume increases from November to March (around the summer). The Andes form the longest mountain chain in the world. ... The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level. ... A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (yellow outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (blue lines) of a contiguous area. ...

The Atuel Canyon

After the waterfall known as El Nihuil, near the city of San Rafael, Mendoza, the Atuel becomes entrenched along a canyon and forms rapids. The canyon is about 60 km long, and during its course the river falls from 1,250 to 700 m above sea level. This level difference is taken advantage of by four hydroelectric power stations (Nihuil I, II, III and IV). San Rafael is a city in the central region of the province of Mendoza, Argentina, 240 km from the provincial capital. ... An entrenched river is a river that is confined to a canyon or gorge, usually with a relatively narrow width and little or no flood plain, and often with meanders worn into the landscape. ... Grand Canyon, Arizona A canyon or gorge is a deep valley often carved from the Earth by a river. ... ... Hydraulic turbine and electrical generator. ... Oil power plant in Iraq A power station or power plant is a facility for the generation of electric power. ...

The Atuel Canyon area is a major tourist attraction, featuring hotels, camping sites, country clubs and other lodging facilities. The rapids are employed for rafting and canoeing; they are classified between class II (novice) and IV (advanced) in the International Scale of River Difficulty. Rafting is a recreational activity utilizing a raft to navigate a river or other body of water. ... Canoeing is the recreational or sporting activity of paddling a canoe or kayak. ... The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, usually a single rapid. ...

The canyon ends in the Rincón del Atuel. From there on the river flows along a plain, becoming wider and meandering until reaching the Desaguadero River. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

References

• El Baqueano, San Rafael, Río Atuel.
• WelcomeArgentina. Adrenaline Guaranteed.