Hydrography of Norte de Santander

[2] The department of Norte de Santander is for the most part situated in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes.

The department, reaching to an altitude of 3,329 metres (10,922 ft) in the Tamá Páramo, has a total surface area of 22,367 square kilometres (8,636 sq mi).

Early sections of the Catatumbo River are known as Chorro Oroque, Rio de la Cruz, and Algodonal.

The Sardinata River originates in La Vuelta, in the Guerrero highlands, near the village of Caro at about 3,100 metres (10,200 ft) above sea level.

The river flows through the province of Cúcuta, passing through the neighbouring nation of Venezuela, and ends in the waters of Lake Maracaibo.

In the past, this river provided a basic means of transportation which was responsible for much of prosperity of the neighbouring valleys, like the center of nutritioned commerce, whose products fed many of the towns nearby.

The Pamplonita River was of crucial importance in the economy of the country in the 18th to 19th centuries as the main channel for the transportation of cacao.

It flows downhill through the Cariongo Valley, and near Chinácota the confluence with the minor affluent Honda River is situated.

The confluence of the Pamplonita and Zulia Rivers is located near the urban area of Cúcuta, the capital of Norte de Santander, in particular the Rinconada neighborhood.

The river also produces a significant erosion in the surrounding lands, in part because of the local dry climate and shortage of vegetation.

The river receives sewage water from Pamplona, Los Patios and Cúcuta, and residues from slaughterhouses, pesticides and fertilizers.