PAPALOAPAN RIVER

Spanish Ro Papaloapan, river in Veracruz estado (state), southeastern Mexico. It is formed by the junction of several rivers in Oaxaca estado, near the Veracruz-Oaxaca border, and meanders generally northeastward for 76 miles (122 km) to Alvarado Lagoon, just south of Alvarado. Its chief headstreams include the Santo Domingo, Tonto, and Valle Nacional, which rise in the Sierra Madre Oriental. Since 1947 the Papaloapan River basin has been developed by the government. Swampy lowlands have been drained and reclaimed, and dams for flood control and hydroelectric power built. The project's success has led to similar schemes in other parts of the gulf lowlands. The Papaloapan system is navigable for 150 miles (240 km) upstream from Alvarado Lagoon.