<%@ page language="VB" contenttype="text/html" responseencoding="iso-8859-1" %> The rivers of Chubut belong to different slopes: the Atlantic Ocean (Chubut, Chico), the Pacific Ocean (Puelo, Carrenleufú) and the slope of endorreic drainage (Senguerr). They present a double regime, fed by winter rains and thawing waters.
The most important rivers are born in the Cordillera, they cross the plateau and throw their water into the Argentinean Sea.
Chubut River begins at Southwest of Río Negro, in Cerro Carreras and after 180 kilometers it drains into Bahía Engaño; its main flows are Tecka-Gualjaina (upper course) and Chico (lower course).
Chico River is born near lake Colhué-Huapi and after 6330 kilometers it joins Chubut River. Around 15 kilometers far from that confluence, the Florentino Ameghino dam was built; it provides the province with more than 70% of the energy it needs.
Senguerr River is born in lakes La Plata and Fontana, it receives water from Mayo River and a brook called Genoa; it drains into lakes Musters and Colhué-Huapi.
From the limit with Río Negro to even further than 44 S there are rivers that are born in the eastern slope of the Andes Patagónicos and drain their water into the Pacific Ocean, like Puelo (from the homonymous lake), Carrenleufú (from Gr. Vintter Lake), Futaleufú (from Situation Lake) and Pico.
This rivers have slopes to the Pacific Ocean and they are short, but they present favorable characteristics for their hydroelectric use. A good example is the formation of Amutui Quimei Lake on Futaleufú River, because of the effects of the installation of a dam where the hydroelectric central is placed since 1978; this central provides with energy mainly the aluminum plant in Puerto Madryn, by means of a line of 550 kilometers.
As it happens with the region called Andino-patagónica, the occidental sector of the province has suffered the effects of glaciation, that has left several lakes such as: Puelo, Epuyén, Cholila, Menéndez, Futalaufquen, Grl. Vintter, La Plata and others.
In the depressed sector of Sarmiento there are two lakes of tectonic wind excavation origin: Musters (434 km²) and Colhué-Huapi (803 km²). The acueduct that supplied Comodoro Rivadavia started here. Another aqueduct that replaced this one and also provides Santa Cruz with potable water begun to be built in 1995. Pipes start at Musters Lake and they cross 253 kilometers of Chubut and Santa Cruz territory; they supply Sarmiento, Comodoro Rivadavia, Caleta Olivia, Rada Tilly and near zones with potable water.
On the other hand, there is a project to build hydroelectric dams and sluices for navigation through the Andes from Puelo Lake, passing through the homonymous river, Tagua Lake, and flow into the Pacific Ocean, in an estuary named Reloncaví (Chile).