The Lauca River is a binational river. It originates in the

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Altiplano The Altiplano (Spanish for "high plain"), Collao (Quechua and Aymara: Qullaw, meaning "place of the Qulla") or Andean Plateau, in west-central South America, is the most extensive high plateau on Earth outside Tibet. The plateau is located at t ...

of the Arica and Parinacota Region, crosses the Andes and empties into Coipasa Lake in

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

. The upper reach of the river lies within the boundaries of

Lauca National Park Lauca National Park is located in Chile's far north, in the Andean range. It encompasses an area of 1,379 km2 of altiplano and mountains, the latter consisting mainly of enormous volcanoes. Las Vicuñas National Reserve is its neighbour to ...

in the

Parinacota Province Parinacota Province ( es, Provincia de Parinacota) is one of two provinces of the Chilean region of Arica y Parinacota. Its capital is Putre. It is named after the Parinacota Volcano. History Arica y Parinacota Region was created on October 8 ...

. Lauca River receives waters from a group of lakes known as Quta Qutani through the ''Desaguadero River''. In this area there is a type of marsh known as Parinacota wetlands, in which converge several streams, being the more important the river just mentioned, which has a variable flow rate ranging from 100 to 560 L/s, and an average of 260 L/s. From its source in the Parinacota wetlands the river flows west. The spurs of the ''Cordillera Central'' (also known as ''Chapiquiña'') form an obstacle impossible to pass through, forcing the river's course southward. In the vicinity of

Wallatiri Guallatiri is a high volcano in Chile. It is located southwest of the Nevados de Quimsachata volcanic group and is sometimes considered to be part of that group. It is a stratovolcano with numerous fumaroles around the summit. The summit may ...

volcano, the Lauca turns again, now eastward crossing from Chile into Bolivia at the latitude of ''Macaya'', at an elevation of 3,892 m asl and with a flow rate about 2,6 m³/s. In Chile the river drains an area of 2,350 km².Cuenca del río Lauca
In the Bolivian Altiplano, the Lauca collects the waters of the rivers Sajama and Coipasa, raising its flow rate up to 8 m³/s before turning south to empty into Coipasa Lake, close to the salt flat of the same name. During the 1930s, the Chilean government begun to use the hydrical resources of Lauca river for irrigation in the

Azapa Valley Azapa Valley is a fertile and narrow oasis in Arica y Parinacota Region, Chile. It is framed between two sere hills and divided by the San Jose River that runs during the summer season. It is located from the city of Arica. This jewel of the nort ...

, generating a complaint from Bolivian government who argued that Chilean authorities were altering the course of an international river. Chile answered that the natural course of the river was not modified, but the works executed were related to the use of waters in the Parinacota wetlands, which not affect the total water flow of the Lauca in its course to Bolivia. The litigation between both countries, started in 1939, caused diplomatic tension until the 1960s.TERENCE R. LEE
The Management of Shared Water Resources in Latin America
page , retrieved on 15 June 2012

References

*This article draws heavily on the corresponding article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia, accessed March 31, 2007. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lauca Rivers of Bolivia Rivers of Oruro Department Rivers of La Paz Department (Bolivia) Rivers of Chile Rivers of Arica y Parinacota Region Rivers of Tarapacá Region International rivers of South America