Bucaná River


Bucaná River is a river in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Río Bucaná has its origin in barrio Machuelo Arriba where it forms at an altitude of. It forms from the confluence of Río Cerrillos and Río Bayagán. It is also fed by Río Portugues during its southernly run. Río Bucaná used to run for some prior to canalization and other diversion work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It now runs for to drain into the Caribbean Sea. This river is one of the 14 rivers in the municipality.

Tributaries

Río Bucaná is formed in barrio Machuelo Arriba by the confluence of the Bayagán and Cerrillos rivers. It has two tributaries, Río Portugues and Río Cerrillos.

Course

Río Bucaná originates in Cordillera Central at Monte Jayuya and runs in a winding fashion to the south receiving feeds from Rio Jauca, Rio Bayagan and Quebrada Guayo. Río Bucaná is channelized from the point it enters the city of Ponce and until it is fed by Rio Portugues in Barrio Bucaná at the southern tip of Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park. The channelization project started in 1974 and was completed in 1997. It was a multimillion-dollar investment, with just the first phase costing $120 million. The river empties into the Caribbean Sea near La Guancha. A section of the river used to run alongside Route 14, near the former Hospital de Distrito, but it has since been diverted.
The following table summarizes the course of Río Bucaná in terms of roads crossed. Roads are listed as the river flows from its origin at the confluence of Río Bayagán and Río Cerrillos rivers, located in Barrio Machuelo Arriba, north of the city of Ponce, to its emptying into the Caribbean Sea in Barrio Bucaná in the south :
No.BarrioRoadRoad's
km marker		NBI IDBridge name
Direction
CoordinatesNotes
1Machuelo ArribaPR-14 5.423051UnnamedBoth0.2 km W of Walmart of Coto Laurel
2Machuelo AbajoPR-103.814331UnnamedNBPR-10 North ramp into PR-14 East, km 3.4
3Machuelo AbajoPR-103.824891UnnamedSB
4SabanetasPR-1 125.012291La CeibaWBnext to Ponce Candy Industries
5SabanetasPR-1 125.012291La CeibaEBnext to Ponce Candy Industries
6BucanáPR-52103.723351UnnamedWB
7BucanáPR-52103.723351UnnamedEB
8PlayaAvenida Caribenot markedN/AUnnamedBoth0.25 km NE of Hotel Ponce Hilton

Uses

Río Bucaná is largely used for irrigation of crops on the southern plains of Puerto Rico located east of the city of Ponce.