La Araucanía Region

Located in southern Chile, it spans between 37 degrees 35 minutes and 39 degrees 37 minutes south latitude, and from 70 degrees 50 minutes west longitude to the Pacific Ocean.

Basins and Sub-Basins

The region contains three main basins: the Imperial River Basin, the Toltén River Basin, and the Upper Bío Bío Basin (Icalma, Galletué). The Imperial and Toltén Rivers are transitional rivers, fed by a mixed snow and rain regime.

Groundwater

According to the Groundwater Catchment Cadastre in the Hydrogeological Study of La Araucanía Region, conducted by Aquaterra (2006), and based on various information sources (Public Water Cadastre, Rural Water Supply Systems, Aguas Araucanía, etc.), as well as zone-specific characteristics (security, access, etc.), a cabinet-based database of 3,153 groundwater captures was generated.

Relief

The region features elevations exceeding 2,000 meters, dominated by volcanoes that define its active volcanic cordillera characteristics: Tolhuaca (2,780 m), Lonquimay (2,822 m), Llaima (3,050 m), and Villarrica (2,840 m).

Climate

This region has a predominant rainy temperate oceanic climate, mostly found in the Coastal Range and the Andean foothills. These areas exhibit greater continentality due to their relative distance from the sea.

Land Use

A 2007 INE study indicates that, due to a significant increase in the area allocated to other land uses (forestry, industrial, natural grasslands), cultivated land has steadily declined, dropping from 3.3 million hectares in 1976 to around 2 million hectares in 2007.

Land Cover

In La Araucanía Region, due to cartographic homogenization of the original 1993 land cover cadastre conducted by @catastro2009corporacion, an increase of 68,637 ha of native forest was recorded, doubling the determined change between 1993 and subsequent years.

Soil Types

In Cautín Province and specifically in the Toltén River Basin, the most extensive soils are classified as “trumaos” and “alluvial trumaos.” Among these, the most extensive soil series is Santa Bárbara (Bío Bío Region), characteristic of hilly and rolling areas in south-central Chile (Malleco Province to Valdivia).

Hydrography

Lake Caburgua is part of the pre-Andean Araucanian lake district in Chile and Argentina. Located at 39 degrees 07.5 minutes south latitude and 71 degrees 45.5 minutes west longitude, at an altitude of 505 m.a.s.l., this lake belongs to the Toltén River basin, covering an area of 7,886 km².

Monitoring Networks

The hydrometric network plays a vital role as it provides focused information on the quantity and quality of water resources in a given basin. This information supports studies for sustainable water rights allocation, ecological flow determination, flood analysis, dilution flows, early warning systems during emergencies, and more.

Water Rights

La Araucanía Region has a high natural water availability (between 6,000 m³/person/year and 49,000 m³/person/year) [@santibanez2016cambio]. However, the region also has the highest levels of groundwater use, representing 18.5% of the national total.

Rural Drinking Water

In rural areas, a portion of the regional population lacks access to a public water network (22% of the regional population). These areas rely on wells or springs, making them the most vulnerable to the water crisis as traditional water sources dry up or deteriorate.

Existing Infrastructure

La Araucanía Region has the longest road network in Chile, totaling 12,005.29 km as of December 2011, according to the Department of Road Management at the Directorate of Roads. This represents 15.4% of the national road network, which spans 77,603.17 km.

Economic Activities

The main economic activities involve traditional agricultural crops. However, industrial crops, forestry, and tourism are increasingly gaining importance, particularly in resorts like Pucón and Villarrica.

Existing Models Cadastre

A cadastre of existing hydrological models used in studies in La Araucanía Region.

Water User Organizations

Water User Organizations (OUA) are private entities regulated by the Water Code, responsible for capturing, conducting, and distributing water rights to their holders. They organize as Surveillance Boards for natural watercourses and as Canalist Associations or Water Communities for artificial ones (canals, reservoirs). They are non-profit entities, obtain legal personality upon registration with the Directorate General of Water, and play a crucial role in water resource management.

Mapuche Water Cosmovision

The Mapuche people have a special relationship with the land and water, which is a fundamental part of their worldview, culture, and survival. Water is considered a vital and sacred element, essential for life’s reproduction and connected to spiritual dimensions rich in symbolic meaning. According to ancestral Mapuche knowledge, water is central to daily life, and it is believed that waters have “ngen” or “ngenco,” spiritual entities that “protect” specific spaces.

Regional Water Resource Policy

The Regional Plan for Infrastructure and Water Resource Management 2021 aligns with the challenge of planning intervention initiatives in public works and water resource management in La Araucanía Region.