Overview
The Futaleufú River, located in northern Patagonia, is one of the premier whitewater rivers in the world.
Description
One of only two rivers to cross the 5,308 kilometer Chile-Argentina border, the Futaleufú headwaters can be found in the glacial snow melt of the UNESCO protected Los Alerces National Park in Argentina.
The Futaleufú river basin in Argentina, reaches 6788 km2 and is fed by the lakes of Los Alerces National Park. There it is located in the Futaleufú hydroelectric dam that provides electricity to the Aluar Aluminum Plant and is also used for public consumption.
This dam, whose official name is General San Martín, is 120m high and 600m long , generating a lake called Amutui Quimey (lost beauty, in the Mapuche language), which also receives contributions from other waters such as the Huemul River, the Frey River and the Futalaufquen, Rivadavia and Cholita lakes, among others.
Once it leaves the National Park, the Futaleufú River receives waters from the Corintos River, the Percey River and the Antefal River, along with those of other smaller inflows, changing its configuration a bit with meanders and glacifluvial caissons.