The Bogotá River is a major river of the Cundinamarca department of Colombia. A right tributary of the Magdalena River, the Bogotá River crosses the region from the northeast to the southwest and passing along the western limits of Bogotá. The large population and major industrial base in its watershed have resulted in extremely severe pollution problems for the river.

Etymology

The Bogotá River is named after Muyquytá, which is derived from Chibcha and means "(Enclosure) outside of the farm fields". In historical texts, and also nowadays in its upstream, the Bogotá River is also called Funza River.

Course

Main tributaries of the Bogotá River are the Teusacá, Torca, Juan Amarillo, Fucha, Tunjuelo, Soacha (left) and Neusa, Río Frío, Bojacá and Subachoque Rivers (right). The headwaters of the Bogotá River are in the municipality of Villapinzón, in the northeastern part of Cundinamarca near the limits with Boyacá. It has a course of about 150 km as it crosses the Bogotá savanna, passing through Zipaquirá and eleven small municipalities, before reaching the city of Bogotá. As it runs along the western border of the city, the river forms the outlet for the heavily polluted Salitre, Fucha and Tunjuelito Rivers. After passing through the municipality of Soacha, the Bogotá River plunges off the savanna at the Tequendama Falls. It then follows a steep course, falling about 2000 m in 50 km, to join the Magdalena River at Girardot.

Temperature

The temperature average ranges from 24 to 27 C.

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