The
Pastaza (the ancient river
Sumatara) is a large
tributaryA tributary is a stream or river which flows into a main stem river. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea. Tributaries and the mainstem river serve to drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater by leading the water out into an ocean or some other large body...
to the
Amazon RiverThe Amazon River of South America is the largest river in the world by volume, with a total river flow greater than the next eight largest rivers combined. The Amazon, which has the largest drainage basin in the world, accounts for approximately one-fifth of the world's total river flow. During...
.
It has its headwaters in the province of Tungurahua, where the Tambo River joins the Latacunga River, near the foot of the Volcano
TungurahuaTungurahua, , is an active stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Central of Ecuador. The volcano gives its name to the province of Tungurahua...
, flowing south-east towards the
Amazon BasinThe Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The basin is located mainly in Brazil, but also stretches into Peru and several other countries. The South American rain forest of the Amazon is the largest in the world, covering about...
. It is very shortly thereafter dammed by the
AgoyanThe Agoyan is the tallest waterfall of the Ecuadorian Andes. It is located approximately 7 km from the city of Baños. It is formed by the waters of the Pastaza river that plunge 61 meters in a gorge located in the Occidental Cordillera....
hydroelectic project, which has made a large, silty lagoon just below the town of
BañosBaños is a city in eastern Tungurahua Province, in central Ecuador. Baños is the second most populous city in Tungurahua, after Ambato, the capital, and a major touristic center. It is known as the "Gateway to the Amazon," as it is located on the Pastaza River in the Amazon River basin, and has a...
. The Agoyan dam was placed in that location specifically to leave the famous Falls of Agoyan, about 5 km further downstream, intact.
The
Pastaza (the ancient river
Sumatara) is a large
tributaryA tributary is a stream or river which flows into a main stem river. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea. Tributaries and the mainstem river serve to drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater by leading the water out into an ocean or some other large body...
to the
Amazon RiverThe Amazon River of South America is the largest river in the world by volume, with a total river flow greater than the next eight largest rivers combined. The Amazon, which has the largest drainage basin in the world, accounts for approximately one-fifth of the world's total river flow. During...
.
It has its headwaters in the province of Tungurahua, where the Tambo River joins the Latacunga River, near the foot of the Volcano
TungurahuaTungurahua, , is an active stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Central of Ecuador. The volcano gives its name to the province of Tungurahua...
, flowing south-east towards the
Amazon BasinThe Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The basin is located mainly in Brazil, but also stretches into Peru and several other countries. The South American rain forest of the Amazon is the largest in the world, covering about...
. It is very shortly thereafter dammed by the
AgoyanThe Agoyan is the tallest waterfall of the Ecuadorian Andes. It is located approximately 7 km from the city of Baños. It is formed by the waters of the Pastaza river that plunge 61 meters in a gorge located in the Occidental Cordillera....
hydroelectic project, which has made a large, silty lagoon just below the town of
BañosBaños is a city in eastern Tungurahua Province, in central Ecuador. Baños is the second most populous city in Tungurahua, after Ambato, the capital, and a major touristic center. It is known as the "Gateway to the Amazon," as it is located on the Pastaza River in the Amazon River basin, and has a...
. The Agoyan dam was placed in that location specifically to leave the famous Falls of Agoyan, about 5 km further downstream, intact. In Tungurahua, the Pastaza is a very fast whitewater river with class-4 rapids; it is often used for whitewater
raftingRafting or whitewater rafting is a challenging recreational activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers...
although it is not considered to be of the same quality as the Tena River and is therefore less popular for the sport. The Troncal Amazonas highway parallels the river from Baños to
PuyoPuyo refers to;* Puyo, Pastaza, the capital of Pastaza, a province in Ecuador* Buyeo , or Puyo, an ancient Korean kingdom* Buyeo County, in South Korea* Puyo , a Japanese mangaka* Puyo Pop/Puyo Puyo, a Japanese video game...
, passing through seven tunnels, and four major waterfalls that are touristic destinations for many Ecuadorians (Agoyan and Pailon del Diablo being the most popular.) Just past the town of Santa Inez, the Pastaza River crosses into the province of Pastaza, where it forms the boundary between that province and Morona-Santiago. There are no major fisheries on the Pastaza River - it is primarily used as a means of transport by canoe. Its rise and fall are rapid and uncertain, and it is shallow and full of sandbanks and snags. Flooding occurs seasonally. After cutting through Ecuador, the Pastaza passes into Peru at a point about 60 miles west of the mouth of the
HuallagaThe Huallaga River is a tributary of the Marañón River, part of the Amazon Basin. Old names for this river include Guallaga and Rio de los Motilones. The Huallaga is born on the slopes of the Andes in central Peru, and joins the Marañón before the latter reaches the Ucayali River to form the...
.
Tributaries
The Pastaza has numerous tributaries, both above and below the hydroelectric dam. These contribute to its rapid flow and to its tendency to flood. On the highway side of the Pastaza, a tributary river occurs about every 3-4 km for a stretch of about 50 km; on the opposite bank, the number of tributaries is slightly lower. Major rivers, including the Pindo, the Puyo, and the Bobonaza, also feed the Pastaza.
Bridges
In Ecuador, there are very few
bridges-People:* Angelica Bridges , American actress, model and singer* Barry Bridges , English footballer* Beau Bridges , American actor* Bles Bridges , South African singer...
across the Pastaza. The most significant ones are in Tungurahua province - namely a large span over the exact point of headwaters, just north of Baños, and the secondary span created by the Agoyan dam. After this, bridges tend to be of the suspension type, suitable for foot or small vehicle passage only. However, it is notable that the Pastaza can be forded during the dry season in a 4x4 truck, going across the floodplains below
Mera- Places :*Mera, Dhanbad, a town in India*Mera, Pastaza, a town in Ecuador*Shell Mera, Pastaza, a town in Ecuador*Mera, Vrancea, a commune in Romania*Mera Peak, a mountain in Nepal...
.