Week 3 - Caño Cristales River, Meta, Colombia

Caño Cristales River                                                                 Credit:http://xploracolombia.com

The Caño Cristales river lies in Meta, Colombia. It is commonly referred to as the "river of five colors." This river looks like most rivers for the majority of the year. The water is clear and the water is cool. There is rocked embedded in the earth below the surface of the running river. You can see dark green moss covering the river rock bed. What makes this river special is what happens for a few short months of the year is that the river becomes filled with vibrant colors.

Caño Cristales River                                                                                                       Credit:https://www.atlasobscura.com

The river changes when conditions are met allowing a very unique plant to grow that turns an almost crimson red. Green and yellow sands spots through the growing plant adding color pops through the flowing water. There is a bluish color added from the water, along with all the shades of color formed from the water running and mixing particulates from the surrounding substances. One way to think about it is the way we make new colors by mixing paints. The river acts as a stirring stick and mixes particulates and dissolves them to make different shades as sedimentary buildup.

The conditions for this phenomenon to occur are not rare but required in order to see the spectacular sight. When conditions are too extreme such as too much rain or not enough rain, the river is either flowing too quickly to allow sunlight to get through to grow the Macarenia clavigera. If there is not enough water in the river, the river cannot support the plant growth or vibrant color mixtures from the running water.

Serranía de la Macarena National Park. Caño Cristales is a section of river within the park which stretches over 62 miles. The park is heavily protected and allows up to 200 visitors per a day. The visitors must use special tour companies in order to tour the area. The park consists of woodland areas and its native species. The river would appear on a topographic map with varying space between contour lines. This is because the river is surrounded by a national park that has multiple changes in elevation. This is what allows the flow of water in the river due to the water running down from higher elevations.