Colonel William A. Phillips

The Bogotá River is a major river of the Cundinamarca department of Colombia. A right tributary of the Magdalena River, the Bogotá River crosses the region from the northeast to the southwest and passing along the western limits of Bogotá. The large population and major industrial base in its watershed have resulted in extremely severe pollution problems for the river.

Etymology

The Bogotá River is named after Muyquytá, which is derived from Chibcha and means "(Enclosure) outside of the farm fields".^[1] In historical texts, and also nowadays in its upstream, the Bogotá River is also called Funza River.^[2]

Course

Main tributaries of the Bogotá River are the Teusacá, Torca, Juan Amarillo, Fucha, Tunjuelo, Soacha (left) and Neusa, Río Frío, Bojacá and Subachoque Rivers (right).

source

N

Te

RF

To

JA

S

B

F

T

A

mouth

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Source and mouth of the Bogotá River and mouths of tributaries on and around the Bogotá savanna
N – Neusa River
Te – Teusacá River
RF – Río Frío
To – Torca River
JA – Juan Amarillo River
F – Fucha River
Tu – Tunjuelo River
B – Balsillas River ← Bojacá River + Subachoque River
S – Soacha River
A – Apulo River

The headwaters of the Bogotá River are in the municipality of Villapinzón, in the northeastern part of Cundinamarca near the limits with Boyacá. It has a course of about 150 kilometres (93 mi) as it crosses the Bogotá savanna, passing through Zipaquirá and eleven small municipalities, before reaching the city of Bogotá. As it runs along the western border of the city, the river forms the outlet for the heavily polluted Salitre, Fucha and Tunjuelito Rivers. After passing through the municipality of Soacha, the Bogotá River plunges off the savanna at the Tequendama Falls. It then follows a steep course, falling about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in 50 kilometres (31 mi), to join the Magdalena River at Girardot.

Temperature

The temperature average ranges from 24 to 27 °C (75 to 81 °F).

Gallery

• 
  Bogotá River close to Zipaquirá
• 
  Bogotá River in Briceño
• 
  Bogotá River in Engativá
• 
  Bogotá River close to Tequendama
• 
  Tequendama Falls in the Bogotá River

See also

• List of rivers of Colombia
• Bogotá savanna, Tequendama – archaeological site, earliest inhabitation along the Bogotá River
• Tequendama Falls

References

External links

• (in Spanish) Sistema Hídrico, Bogotá
• (in Spanish) Hidrografía Río Bogotá