The Yuna River (Spanish: ''Río Yuna'') is the second longest river in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

at in length. It forms within the

Cordillera Central Central Cordillera refers to the New Guinea Highlands. Cordillera Central, meaning ''central range'' in Spanish, may refer to the following mountain ranges: * Cordillera Central, Andes (disambiguation), several mountain ranges in South America ** ...

mountain range southwest of the city of

Bonao Bonao is a city in the Cibao region of Dominican Republic. It is the capital of the Monseñor Nouel province. The city is located in the center of the country, to the northwest of the national capital Santo Domingo. The city is known as "Villa d ...

Monseñor Nouel Province Monseñor Nouel () is a province in the central region of the Dominican Republic. It was split from La Vega province in 1982. Name The province is named after Monseñor Dr. Adolfo Alejandro Nouel y Bobadilla (1862-1937), an Archbishop of Santo ...

, and passes through the fertile Cibao Valley. The river from there turns north-northeast passing the city of Bonao along the way. Southwest of

Cotuí Cotuí is a city in the central region of the Dominican Republic and is one of the oldest cities of the New World. It is the capital of Sánchez Ramírez Province in the Cibao. According to the Population and Housing Census, the municipality had ...

, the river reaches

Hatillo Dam The Hatillo Dam is an earth and rock-filled embankment dam on the Yuna River about southwest of Cotuí in Sánchez Ramírez Province of the Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located ...

(Spanish: ''Presa de Hatillo'') before turning northeast then east as it reaches its mouth at the Samaná Bay in the northeast part of the Dominican Republic. Like many rivers in the Dominican Republic, the name is derived from the

Taíno language Taíno is an extinct Arawakan language that was spoken by the Taíno people of the Caribbean. At the time of Spanish contact, it was the most common language throughout the Caribbean. Classic Taíno (Taíno proper) was the native language of t ...

Course

The source of the Yuna is located southeast of the city of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, who ...

and northwest of the city of

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional) , webs ...

. The source is located near the southern Monseñor Nouel village of La Cuesta de la Vaca within the municipality of

on Cerro Montoso Hill (Spanish: ''Loma de Cerro Montoso'') at an elevation of above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

. The Cerro Montoso Hill lies along the highest mountain range in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Great ...

, the Cordillera Central. The Cordillera Central provides the principal

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

and

drainage divide A drainage divide, water divide, ridgeline, watershed, water parting or height of land is elevated terrain that separates neighboring drainage basins. On rugged land, the divide lies along topographical ridges, and may be in the form of a sing ...

for the Dominican Republic; the Yuna has its source along the northern slope of the mountain range. The Yuna descends from its headwaters running south then west where several streams feed into the river near the San José de Ocoa province border. The Yuna then turns north near the village of

El Torito El Torito ( Spanish for "the little bull") is an American chain that serves Mexican food. El Torito operates 69 restaurants primarily in California.Blanco and Tireo River. The Yuna then heads northeast into lower elevations as the river leaves the Cordillera Central. The river passes through the village of Los Quemados, receiving several forks that originate within the Cordillera Central to the west. The river next bypasses Bonao to the northwest of the city. The Yuna then flows into the town of Los Arroces, receiving a major tributary, the Masopedro River, on the left bank. The Yuna then heads east passing under the Autopista Duarte before entering another mountainous region of Monseñor Nouel. The Yuna next passes north of

Falconbridge Ltd. Falconbridge Limited was a Toronto, Ontario-based natural resources company with operations in 18 countries, involved in the exploration, mining, processing, and marketing of metal and mineral products, including nickel, copper, cobalt, and plati ...

, a major economic income for the Bonao area. The Yuna heads east as it cuts through several mountains in this region including the Flat Hill (Spanish: ''La Loma del Llano'') where the Yujo River converges onto the Yuna. The river accompanies the

Sánchez Ramírez Province Sánchez Ramírez () is a province which constituting one of the 32 provinces of the Dominican Republic. It is divided into 4 municipalities and its capital city is Cotuí. Located in the Cibao Sur region in central Dominican Republic, it is b ...

line east of Flat Hill and enters the province upon arriving at

Lake Hatillo A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

(Spanish: ''Presa de Hatillo'') in the municipality of

where it joins the Maimón River. Lake Hatillo runs north-northeast for and has a total area of from the Yuna–Maimón convergence to a

hydroelectric dam Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

located southwest of

. The reservoir, surrounded by rolling hills, is the largest artificial lake and is home to the largest dam in the Caribbean. The Hatillo dam in the Yuna River is an example of a dam with flood control purposes. The Yuna continues past the dam running northeast while decreasing in elevation and receiving first the Maguaca River and later the Chacuey River along the right bank. The Yuna bypasses the city of Cotuí to the north and enters a Sánchez Ramírez region filled with

cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...

orchards. The Yuna receives its principal tributary, the Camú River, approximately northeast of Cotuí at the

Duarte Province Duarte () is a northeastern province which comprises one of the 32 provinces of the Dominican Republic. It is divided into 7 municipalities and its capital city is San Francisco de Macorís. It is bordered by the provinces of María Trinidad Sán ...

line at an elevation of above sea level. The Camú River has its source within the Cordillera Central and has a watershed that spans seven provinces: La Vega,

, Monseñor Nouel,

Hermanas Mirabal The Mirabal sisters ( es, hermanas Mirabal ) were four sisters from the Dominican Republic, three of whom (Patria, Minerva and María Teresa) opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo () and were involved in clandestine activities against his r ...

, Sánchez Ramírez, and Duarte. The Yuna turns east after receiving the Camú River along its left bank and now serves as the Sánchez Ramírez-Duarte Province line, heading into

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

s filled with rice and cocoa cultivation. The easternmost segment of the Yuna past the mouth of the Camú River has the most s-shaped curves of any segment in its course. The Yuna continues to decrease in elevation as it heads east reaching above sea level upon entering Duarte Province and the municipality of

Eugenio Maria de Hostos Eugenio is an Italian and Spanish masculine given name deriving from the Greek ' Eugene'. The name is Eugénio in Portuguese and Eugênio in Brazilian Portuguese. The name's translated literal meaning is well born, or of noble status. Similar de ...

where it meets two small tributaries along its left bank: the Nigua and

Yaiba ''Yaiba'' (stylized as ''Y∀IBA'') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1988 to December 1993, with its ...

Rivers. The Yuna next heads into the municipality of Villa Riva running east-northeast while descending into elevations of above sea level. The Yuna passes north of

Los Haitises National Park Los Haitises National Park is a national park located on the remote northeast coast of the Dominican Republic that was established in 1976. It consists of a limestone karst plateau with conical hills, sinkholes and caverns, and there is a large a ...

where it meets the

Cevicos River Cevicos is a town and municipality in the Sánchez Ramírez Province, Sánchez Ramírez Provinces of the Dominican Republic, province of the Dominican Republic. Municipal population, as of 2012, is of 12,589. Town's proper population is of 4,285. ...

along its right bank. The Yuna then traverses a region with several

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into '' coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons' ...

s and wetlands and heads north to the town of Villa Riva before turning southeast and receiving the Payabo River on its right bank. The Yuna next passes beneath Autopista Juan Pablo II upon briefly entering the municipality of

Arenoso Arenoso is a town in the Duarte province of the Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It ...

and continues east passing several small villages including Los Coles and Agua Santa del Yuna. The Yuna continues east into the village of Los Cacaos where the Yuna serves as the Duarte–

Samaná Province Samaná () is a province of the Dominican Republic in the Samaná Peninsula located in the eastern region. Its capital is Santa Bárbara de Samaná, usually known as Samaná. The province is on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the northeaster ...

line in a region filled with

marshlands A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found ...

and cienegas. The Yuna next arrives at the long Barracote River which separates from the right bank of the Yuna. The Barracote runs southeast-east as it reaches its mouth at the Samaná Bay (Spanish: ''Bahía de Samaná'') in the municipality of

Sánchez Sánchez is a Spanish family name. Historical origins "The illustrious Sanchez Family... is descended from one of a number of Gothic knights (caballeros) who in the year 714 escaped from the "barbara furia" of the Mohammedan invasion and took ...

at an elevation of above sea level. The main branch of the Yuna continues northeast receiving the Guayabo River on its left bank before traveling east into

. The Yuna finally reaches its delta within Los Haitises National Park approximately south of the city of

and north of the Barracote River mouth. The delta is located within the

Lower Yuna Mangroves Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England See also

*Nizhny {{Disambiguation ...

(Spanish: ''Manglares del Bajo Yuna'') and empties into the Samaná Bay., which is one of the largest estuaries in the Caribbean.Dominican Republic: Samana Bay. The Nature Conservancy. http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/caribbean/dominicanrepublic/placesweprotect/samana-bay-and-yuna-river.xml (Accessed May 11, 2015) There is a long period when the Yuna River provides Samana Bay with a flow of stable and low freshwater, as well as two times of the year when the Yuna River rises and provides the Bay with a flow of large freshwater. In total the Yuna River, is 208 km long.

Rice irrigation

A primary usage for the Yuna River, where it travels along the city of Bonao, is for the cultivation of rice. Noted by Barzman and Peguero (1995) in ''Impacts of Altered Freshwater Flows to Estuaries: Yuna River Watershed and Samana Bay'' (Jim Tobey, 2004) “agrochemical use for rice cultivation in the Yuna watershed is contributing to loss in soil fertility and to increases in pests, weeds, and diseases, which, in turn, require increases in the already high use of the same agrochemicals.” (Tobey, 2004, 31)

Geology

Although most of the Yuna River bed is vegetated, but there is a high amount of gravel south of

References

{{Authority control Rivers of the Dominican Republic Geography of Monseñor Nouel Province Geography of Sánchez Ramírez Province Geography of Samaná Province Geography of Duarte Province