Mopan River

The Mopan River is a river in Central America that runs through Guatemala's Petén Department and Belize's Cayo District. It joins the Macal River at Branch Mouth, Belize, to form the Belize River, which eventually empties into the Caribbean Sea. The combined watershed has a drainage area of 9,434.2 km2 (3,642.6 sq mi). Chiquibul Branch, Ceiba Grande, Salisipuedes, and Delores are Mopan tributaries.

Since 1981, the Mopan River's discharge rate has been measured on a regular basis at the river gauge station in Benque Viejo, Belize. According to these measurements, the annual mean discharge of the river is between 20 and 40 m3/s. In November 1990, the highest rate ever recorded was 404 m3/s.

Although the Mopan may contribute to downstream flooding during the rainy season, it responds to rainstorms slower than the Belize River's other major tributary, the Macal. On average, both rivers produce similar quantities, but the Mopan watershed is less hilly than the Macal watershed, resulting in less severe flood waves.

Length: 50 km (30 mi)