Pisuerga

Pisuerga
The Pisuerga passing through Valladolid.
Origin	Cantabrian Mountains
Basin countries	Spain
Location	Burgos Palencia Valladolid
Length	283 km (approx. 175.8 mi)
Source elevation	1800 m (approx. 5905.5 ft)
Mouth elevation	678 m (approx. 2224.4 ft)
Avg. discharge	2586 million m³/year; 82 m³/s

The Pisuerga is a river in northern Spain, the Duero's second largest tributary. It rises in the Cantabrian Mountains in the province of Palencia, autonomous region of Castile and León. Its traditional source is called Fuente Cobre, but it has been discovered that the real source is a glacier higher in the mountains. The river flows south into the Douro river shortly after passing through the city of Valladolid. Its length is approximately 270 kilometres (170 mi).

Since the 1950s the water level of the river has been very regular throughout the year due to the huge Aguilar de Campoo dam which collects all the water from the river's rainy upper valleys. This regulation has allowed the creation of vast extensions of irrigated farmland along the Pisuerga's course across the northern Castilian plain.

In Spanish culture

The Spanish phrase "aprovechando que el Pisuerga pasa por Valladolid" ("And now since Pisuerga crosses Valladolid,...") is a popular way to point or acknowledge a non sequitur since the river has no bearing with the following "consequence".

Johnny Juerga y los que remontan el Pisuerga ("Johnny Wildfun and those going upstream Pisuerga") is a Spanish rock group mostly known by their unusual band name.

See also

• List of rivers of Spain