Hidrology

 

The Municipality of Nogales is located between two Hydrologic Regions: The colorado River, and the North Sonora. Both are separated by a watershed limit that goes more or less from the Northwest to the Southeast limits of the Municipality, as shown in the map.

The Colorado Region (green in the map), within the Municipality is formed by the Nogales watershed (with an area of 51,107.57 Has in the Municipality), although with a total area of 1,380 Square Kilometers in Mexico, and is drained through the Santa Cruz River, which flows North, until it flows into the Colorado River. it covers 30.52% of the total Municipality surface.

All of the water entering the Santa Cruz River watershed drains toward Arizona, passing the border East of Nogales, near Mascareñas,

On the other side, the North Sonora Region (the red and brown areas in the adjoining map), covers the 69.48% remaining area of the Municipality, and it drains South through the Planchas de Plata Creek (37.93% of the area of the Municipality, with 63,516.06 Has), the Alisos watershed (30.2% of the Municipality Area, with 50,571.71 Has), which flows South.

If we change our perspective, we'll see that the urban area of Nogales, Sonora, is established in a small watershed, part of the Santa Cruz (with a total area in Mexico of 6,870 Has), who drains towards North through the Arroyo Los Nogales. All of this flow is concentrated in the point through which the Arroyo Los Nogales crosses the border, under the Dennis de Concini Border Gate, and then flows North until it is incorporated to the Santa Cruz, some 8 Miles North of the border.

If you want to know about the usage of water in Nogales, where it comes from, etc., you can read it in the Ecology page.