The Rio Grande de Mindanao, also known as the Mindanao River, is the second-largest river system in the Philippines. Located on the southern island of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
, with a total
drainage area
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, the ...
of , draining the majority of the central and eastern portion of the island, and a total length of approximately .''Principal River Basins of the Philippines'', published by the National Water Resources Board, October 1976 (p. 12) It is an important transportation artery, used mainly in transporting agricultural products and, formerly,
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
Gingoog City
Gingoog, officially the City of Gingoog ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Hingoog; fil, Lungsod ng Gingoog), is a 2nd class component city in the province of Misamis Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 136,698 people.
L ...
in
Misamis Oriental
Misamis Oriental ( ceb, Sidlakang Misamis; tl, Silangang Misamis), officially the Province of Misamis Oriental, is a province located in the region of Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. Its capital, largest city and provincial center is th ...
Kabacan River
The Kabacan River is a river in the province of Cotabato in the Philippines. It is a tributary of the Pulangi River, discharging at Kayaga, Kabacan, Cotabato.
Flooding
Flooding occurs during heavy rainfall, thunderstorms
A thundersto ...
, it becomes the Mindanao River. Flowing out of the mountains, it forms the center of a broad, fertile plain in the southcentral portion of the island. Before its mouth in the
Illana Bay
Illana Bay, also known as the Iranun Bay, is a large bay of the Moro Gulf, off the southwestern coast of Mindanao island in the Philippines.
Illana Bay and Moro Gulf form part of the Celebes Sea.
See also
*Sibuguey Bay
Sibuguey Bay is a larg ...
, it splits into two parallel sections, the Cotabato and Tamontaka, separated by a hill.
Population centers along the river include Cotabato City, Datu Piang and Midsayap.
Course
The Rio Grande de Mindanao has its source in the Central Mindanao Highlands near the northern coast of the island, specifically on the northeastern part of the province of Bukidnon, where it is known as the Pulangi River. It then flows southward across the Bukidnon Plateau, fed up by its tributaries along the way and then emerges onto the Cotabato plains, depositing fertile mountain
silt
Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel when ...
as it widens and arcs westward through the Cotabato River Basin. It finally empties into
Illana Bay
Illana Bay, also known as the Iranun Bay, is a large bay of the Moro Gulf, off the southwestern coast of Mindanao island in the Philippines.
Illana Bay and Moro Gulf form part of the Celebes Sea.
See also
*Sibuguey Bay
Sibuguey Bay is a larg ...
at its mouth at Cotabato City.
As the Mindanao River meets
Illana Bay
Illana Bay, also known as the Iranun Bay, is a large bay of the Moro Gulf, off the southwestern coast of Mindanao island in the Philippines.
Illana Bay and Moro Gulf form part of the Celebes Sea.
See also
*Sibuguey Bay
Sibuguey Bay is a larg ...
, it branches out into two
distributaries
A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel. Distributaries are a common feature of river deltas. The phenomenon is known as river bifurcation. The opposite of a distributary ...
, the Cotabato in the north and the Tamontaka in the south at Cotabato City.
Simuay River
The Simuay River is a river in the Philippines with its source at Lanao del Sur in the Piapayungan range, and its mouth at is at Illana Bay through the Mindanao River
The Rio Grande de Mindanao, also known as the Mindanao River, is the secon ...
*
Libungan River
The Libungan River is a river on Mindanao island in the Philippines. It springs on the slopes of Mount Piapayungan and flows south through the town of Alamada, Cotabato. At the town of Libungan, Cotabato, the river turns south-west and forms the ...
*
M'lang River
The M'lang River is a river located in the municipality of M'lang in Cotabato province in the Philippines. It directs from Liguasan Marsh to Pulangi River basin in flow of Mindanao River
The Rio Grande de Mindanao, also known as the Mindanao ...
Water hyacinths
The river has recently been clogged with
water hyacinth
''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range.Benigno Aquino III ordered public works and military personnel to clear the river of up to of water lily growth.