La Leche River (Spanish: Río La Leche), meaning the milky one, is a river of Lambayeque Region in northwestern Peru,[1] although some of its water come from the northern Cajamarca Region.[2]

La Leche River
La Leche River is located in Peru
La Leche River
Location of La Leche's source in Peru
Native nameSpanish: Río La Leche
Location
CountryPeru
RegionLambayeque
Physical characteristics
SourceMount Choicopico
 • coordinates06°13′19″S 079°4′59″W / 6.22194°S 79.08306°W / -6.22194; -79.08306
 • elevation4,230 metres (13,878 ft)
MouthMotupe River
 • coordinates
06°26′08″S 079°56′02″W / 6.43556°S 79.93389°W / -6.43556; -79.93389
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • rightMoyán River, Sangana River

Geography

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La Leche arises off the northern slopes of Mount Choicopico, 06°13′19″S 079°4′59″W / 6.22194°S 79.08306°W / -6.22194; -79.08306, at an altitude of 4,230 metres (13,878 ft) in Ferreñafe Province, of Lambayeque Region.[2] Its two main tributaries are the Moyán and the Sangana rivers, both right-hand tributaries.[2] Formerly the river ran parallel to the Motupe River as it entered the saline Sechura Desert; however, due to stream capture it now has the Motupe River flowing into its bed at 06°26′08″S 079°56′02″W / 6.43556°S 79.93389°W / -6.43556; -79.93389, with the resultant river being called the Motupe.[3] During the rainy season, mid November to mid April, but especially during El Niño events,[4] La Leche can experience severe flooding, and in some years by the end of the dry season it can almost disappear.[2] Traditionally stone levees were used to try to control the flooding,[5] but in the 21st century upland dams are being used.[2]

The valley of La Leche is variously forested, grassland and agricultural.[2] The largest town along La Leche is Incahuasi.[2] Both the Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge and the Pómac Forest Historical Sanctuary are along La Leche.

Notes and references

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  1. ^ Río La Leche (Approved - N) at GEOnet Names Server, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Ponce, Victor M. (2 July 2008). "Projecto de Control de Inundaciones en el Rio La Leche" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 July 2010.
  3. ^ Chiclayo, Peru, SB 17-11 (Map). 1:250,000. Joint Operations Graphic (Air), Series 1501 Air. United States National Imagery and Mapping Agency. 1994.
  4. ^ Ponce, Victor M.; Shetty, Amper V. (2008). "The facts about El Niño". Archived from the original on 11 November 2014.
  5. ^ Shimada, Izumi (1982). "Horizontal Archipelago and Coast-Highland Interaction in North Peru: Archaeological Models in El Hombre y su Ambiente en los Andes Centrales". Senri Ethnological Studies Osaka. 10: 137–210, page 177.

Further reading

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