The Tuma River is a river located in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
. The length of the Tuma is .
The river, a left
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the
Río Grande de Matagalpa
Río Grande de Matagalpa (, ''Awaltara'' in Miskito language, Miskito, ''Ucumulalí'' in Matagalpa language, Matagalpa) is a river of Nicaragua. Running from its source near Matagalpa to the Caribbean Sea in the northern part of the South Caribb ...
, is located in the
Jinotega and
Matagalpa Department
Matagalpa () is a department in central Nicaragua. It covers an area of 6,804 km2 and has a population of 600,057 (2021 est). The capital is the city of Matagalpa with a population of about 111,000.
Matagalpa is the second largest region ...
s,
North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region
The North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It was created along with the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region by the Autonomy Statute of 7 September 1987 through a division of the former Zela ...
, and
South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region
The South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It was created along with the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region by the Autonomy Statute of 7 September 1987 through a division of the former Zelay ...
. The source of the Tuma River is located in Jinotega Department, about 250 kilometers northeast of the capital,
Managua
Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...
. The river flows in the eastern direction, crosses into Matagalpa Department, in the lower course forms the border between Matagalpa Department and the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, and between the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region and the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region where it joins Río Grande de Matagalpa.
The biggest towns on the banks of the Tuma are
El Tuma in Matagalpa Department and
Mulukuku in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region.
In 1964, President
Luis Somoza Debayle
Luis Anastasio Somoza Debayle (18 November 1922 – 13 April 1967) was the 50th President of Nicaragua from 1957 until his resignation in 1963. He succeeded to the presidency following the death of his father, Anastasio Somoza García. The Somoz ...
decided to dam the river with the
Mancotal Dam to form Nicaragua's first
man-made lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from t ...
,
Apanás Lake, which provides power for the 50-megawatt Centroamérica
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
plant in the country's
Central Highlands.
[About the Area](_blank)
. Selva Negra. Retrieved on 2011-02-23. It is also an important recreational area, as the river and lake provide a good deal of tourism for Jinotega department.
See also
* Hydroelectricity in Nicaragua
References
{{reflist
Rivers of Nicaragua