CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The Chuscha river is a mountain torrent with its springs at 5.512 m.a.s.l. and it presents a drop of 3.873 m in 41 km. The causes that originated the dense flow are analyzed happened 6/1/2015, by means of analysis of current and previous Google Earth images, interviews, testimonies, and field surveys up to 3.000 m.a.s.l. The dense flow, type debris flow, dragged large blocks and a large content of fine materials that overflowed both banks and flooded the city and vineyards. The maximum flow was estimated at 396 m3 /s and average speed was 3 m/s. It was determined that the sediments correspond to the Valley of the Sala where the hillsides collapsed with an intense storm. The high areas of the mountains present wetlands type wetlands, associated with arid grasslands and many natural slopes that the inhabitants take advantage of to graze cattle, generating an intense overgrazing.