The Júcar () or Xúquer () is a river in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, on the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
. The river runs for approximately 509 km.
Its source is located at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, in the municipality of
Tragacete, province of Cuenca, on the eastern flank of the
Montes Universales
Montes Universales is a long mountain range in the southeastern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,935 m high summit known as Caimodorro. The 1,830 m high Muela de San Juan is another important peak.
Administratively, the Mo ...
in the
Sistema Ibérico
The Iberian System is one of the major systems of mountain ranges in Spain.
It consists of a vast and complex area of mostly relatively high and rugged mountain chains and massifs located in the central region of the Iberian Peninsula, but ...
. Its tributaries include the
Cabriel, the
Magro, and the .
The Júcar River flows first southward and then eastward through the towns of
Cuenca,
Alcalá del Júcar
Alcalá del Júcar () is a Spanish Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, within the Province of Albacete, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It has a population of 1,148 inh ...
,
Cofrentes,
Alzira,
Sueca,
Alarcón and
Cullera, a town located near its mouth into the
Gulf of Valencia in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. It crosses the provinces of Cuenca, Albacete and Valencia.
In 1982, the river Júcar broke the
Tous Dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
, causing the biggest
flood
A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
in Spanish history, with a flow speed of 16,000 cubic metres per second, killing more than 30 people. This flood was the most important one in the whole history of Spain because, at that time, the people had thought that the Tous Dam was indestructible. The flood was called ''La pantanada de Tous'' (which, in English, would translate something like: ''The Swamp'' ''of Tous'').
See also
*
List of rivers of Spain
This is an incomplete list of rivers that are at least partially in Spain. The rivers flowing into the sea are sorted along the coast. Rivers flowing into other rivers are listed by the rivers they flow into. Rivers in the mainland Iberian Peninsu ...
*
Rambla del Poyo
The Rambla del Poyo is a 43.5 km Arroyo (creek), Rambla (gorge) in the Province of Valencia, Spain.
Hydrology
It lies between the Turia (river), Turia and Júcar rivers, with its source in the mountains of the ''Parque Natural del Turia' ...
References
External links
Confederació Hidrogràfica del XúquerPlataforma Xúquer ViuProjecte de seguiment de la qualitat del Xúquer
Rivers of Spain
Rivers of the Valencian Community
European drainage basins of the Mediterranean Sea
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