Jalón | |
River | |
The river Jalón in Terrer, Zaragoza (province).
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Country | Spain |
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Tributaries | |
- left | Nágima, Henar, Manubles, Isuela |
- right | Piedra, Jiloca |
Source | Benamira |
- location | Medinaceli, Iberian System, Castile and León |
- elevation | 1,192 m (3,911 ft) |
- coordinates | 41°05′34″N 2°25′28″W / 41.092762°N 2.424388°W |
Mouth | Ebro |
- location | Torres de Berrellén, Zaragoza, Aragón |
- elevation | 209 m (686 ft) |
- coordinates | 41°46′39″N 1°03′46″W / 41.777476°N 1.062856°WCoordinates: 41°46′39″N 1°03′46″W / 41.777476°N 1.062856°W |
Length | 224 km (139 mi) |
Basin | 9,338 km2 (3,605 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
- average | 20.8 m3/s (735 cu ft/s) |
River system | Ebro |
Watershed of the Jalón
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The river Jalón (Latin: Salo) is located in the northeast of Spain, and is one of the principal tributaries of the Ebro. It has a length of 224 kilometres (139 mi) and drains a watershed of 9,338 square kilometres (3,605 sq mi). The flow rate in Calatayud is 20.8 cubic metres per second (730 cu ft/s), but is highly irregular due to the great range of Mediterranean rainfall patterns.
The course of the river forms the main communication route between the Castilian Plateau and the Ebro. Until the late twentieth century, roads and railways between Madrid and Zaragoza followed this path.
The Jalón rises in one of the springs at the foot of the Sierra Ministra, called Fuente Vieja (Old Fountain) located at the base of Monteagudillo, a hill in Benamira, Medinaceli (Soria), and then runs through Arcos de Jalón, to Monreal de Ariza, province of Zaragoza, Aragón.
The tributary river Nágima joins at Monreal de Ariza and the Henar at Cetina before the river enters a limestone gorge at Alhama de Aragón. The Jalón then meanders through the Paleozoic zones of the Cordillera Ibérica near Bubierca, being joined by the Piedra and the Manubles at Ateca. At Calatayud, the river expands into a broad valley and is joined by the Jiloca, Perejiles and Ribota. The next section meanders through the Sierra de Algairén and the Sierra de la Virgen.