Free-Flowing Rivers

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03. FREE-FLOWING RIVERS

Rivers are the arteries of continents. They transport freshwater and contribute to the health of ecosystems and the wellbeing of human communities. But only one third of the world’s big rivers currently flow free. In the mountains of Durango, in Mexico, springs the last free-flowing river in the Sierra Madre: San Pedro Mezquital, a 540-kilometer-long system that connects the high sierra with the coastal plains. But plans to build a dam threaten the free-flow of its waters.

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Tania Escobar

SOUNDTRACK AND AUDIO

Ernesto Paredano

VOICE OVER

Exequiel Ezcurra

SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION

Ana Domínguez

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK

Consejo Intercomunitario del Río San Pedro

Consejo Indígena Náyeri

Julián López Cánare

Pedro Cayetano

Cecilia Ruesga

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WITH THE SUPPORT OF

National Geographic/Waitt Foundation

Alianza FGRA/WWF México

SuMar

AIDA México

Nuiwari

Nikon NPS Mexico

DIRECTED BY

Jaime Rojo

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Exequiel Ezcurra

Jaime Rojo

Octavio Aburto

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Jaime Rojo

Octavio Aburto

Raquel Gómez

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Juli Martinez

Jaume Osman Granda

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In the mountains of Durango, Mexico, the San Pedro Mezquital river is born, the last free flowing river of Sierra Madre.

Rivers carry sediments and nutrients that are deposited along the river banks and deltas.

Rivers contribute to the health of ecosystems.

Over time, rivers shape the landscape through sediment transport.

The San Pedro Mezquital river and its tributaries grow during the rainy season.

The San Pedro Mezquital river watershed has different types of ecosystems rich in resources and of great value.

The San Pedro Mezquital river flows through some of the least traveled places in the Sierra Madre Occidental.

The waters of the San Pedro Mezquital River flow freely from the mountains.

Indigenous communities like the Huicholes, have established along the fertile banks of the San Pedro Mezquital River.

Indigenous cultures and traditions have been shaped by the San Pedro Mezquital River.

The tropical deciduous forest and riverside vegetation prevail, contributing to incredible landscapes.

The waters of the San Pedro Mezquital descend peacefully after leaving the Sierra Madre Occidental.

The "parallel bars" on Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve in Nayarit.

This wild male jaguar (Panther onca) was shot with a camera trap in the mangroves of the Marismas Nacionales.

Marismas Nacionales is the destination of migratory birds like American skimmers (Rynchops niger)

Marismas Nacionales was declared a RAMSAR wetland in 1995.

The shrimp fishery is one of the most important in the Marismas Nacionales area.

The productivity of this zone extends throughout the region, including the sea, generating more than $13 million dollars in fisheries earnings.