El régimen fluviométrico del Río Magdalena y su importancia para la Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta

Abstract

Long standing water-gauge data recorded at the lower course of the Magda-lena river (Colombia), show every 6 to 7 year extreme high and low water levels. These rhythmical changes could be proved highly significant with Student's t-test. Furthermore, these oscillations of waterlevels could be corre-lated with long-term changes of rainfalls in the upper hydrographic basin of the Magdalena. The extreme high waters cause cyclical floodings of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, a brackish water lagoon communicated with the Magdalena, and thus the cyclical extinction of the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae, which is of considerable economic importance.