Río Torola, Lower, El Salvador (click here for the El Salvador table of rivers)

river photo

Class: IV ; Flow: 2,000 cfs; Average Gradient: 4 m/km; Portages: no; Length: 25 km; Time: 3.5 hrs

Season: year-round ; rafts? yes; Highlights: dam release and a nice canyon in the middle; Crux move: class IVs in the canyon

Put-In: Portillo Blanco hammock bridge (145 m); Take-Out: Nuevo Eden de San Juan (50 m)

Description: (click here for general notes about my descriptions)

The new El Chaparral dam on the lower Río Torola has flooded some fine border-area waterway. The silver lining is that we can enjoy the final 20 km of the river year-round with dam-release flows. The run is mostly II/III except for a short section with five IVs.

A full description is in the Mayan Whitewater El Salvador, Honduras, & Nicaragua guidebook.

Descent History: I ran this solo in September 2016, with 2,200 cfs.