Name: Provincia del Chaco
Capital City: Resistencia
Divisions: 25 Departments
Population: 984.446
Borders: Salta and Santiago del Estero to the west; Formosa to the
north and east, Corrientes and de Republic of Paraguay to the
southeast and Santa Fe to the south.
Geography:
The province lies in the Gran Chaco plains, also known as the
Green Hell for its extreme weather conditions. Frequent droughts
make for desert-like parts of the geography. Yet, torrential rains
and occasional floods create areas of rainforest habitat.
Rio Negro ("Black River"), eastern Chaco. Differences in
vegetation show the unequal distribution of precipitation: An
Impenetrable ("Impenetrable") dense dry forest lies in the west,
with precipitations of around 600 mm per year, and the more humid
east, with 1,100 mm
annual precipitation, holds the Selva Chaqueña, a jungle with no
dry season.
The rivers of the province end in either the Paraná River or the
Paraguay River, and run from west to east. The most important of
these are the Bermejo River,
Río de Oro, Guaycurú Grande, Guaycurú Chico, Salado River,
Negro River, Palometa and
Tapenagá. The area is inhabited by exotic wildlife, including
crocodiles, monkeys, tarantulas, wild boars, jaguars, giant
armadillos, anacondas, rattlesnakes, and a variety of other
poisonous snakes.
Transport:
Major highways include 11 north from Santa Fé province north via
Resistencia to Formosa, 16 across the Paraná from Correntes
322 km north-west via Resistencia and Presidencia Roque Sáenz
Peña into Santiago del Estero province, and passing through Taco
Pozo in the north-east to Salta, and 89 from Avia Terai 245 km
south-west via Charata to Quimili in Santiago del Estero province.
There is an airport at Resistencia
Chaco National Park:
Chaco National Park was set up in 1954 to preserve a sample
of the eastern chaco. Covering some 15,000 ha it is 130 km
NW
of Resistencia, the provincial capital.
Natural Aspects:
Within the park's limits one can find several types of habitat such as
the chaco woods, palm-dotted savannahs and marshes and lagoons.
The woods are composed of the "red" quebracho reaching some
15m in height, the Gleditsia with its trunk covered with a thick wad of
long and sharp thorns, Tabebuias which are covered in pink flowers at
the end of winter, the guayacán of colourful bark. There are also
algarrobos (Prosopis sp) and guayaibí. The lower storeys are covered
in impregnable stands of ground bromeliads with bright pink flowering
heads which make any idea of walking through these woods an
impossible dream. The Negro river cuts off the NE corner of the park
and its riverine forests are particularlym dense. In the north-western
corner of the park the two "red" quebrachos grow side by side indicating
that the park is on the transition zone with the "dry" chaco. The difference
is to be found in the leaves - simple or compound. The fauna of the
Chaco is abundant and becoming used to the presence of man.
Plush-crested and purplish jays are curious and approach in search of
left-overs from picnics. The giant woodrail saunters through clearings
near the water. Also seen is the cream-backed woodpecker with its
brilliant red head and crest, and at night owls, nightyjars and the potoo are
active. Brockets and the howler monkey are abundant in the woods,
the latter justifying its name by the sounds it produces at dawn and dusk.
The white woodpecker and the savannah hawk are found in the vicinity
of palm trees; the grasslands where palms grow are the habitat for a gamut
of insects including colourful grasshoppers and mantis, some camouflaged
in their background.
On the lakes, Panza de Cabra, Yacaré and Carpincho, one can
appreciate the abundant waterfowl of the área. Neotropic cormorants hang
their wings out to dry, perched on some snag, the wattled jacana dances
over the leaves of floating plants and waterlillies, screamers scream and
herons such as the rufescent tiger heron wade. Common raptors at waterholes
are the snail kite and the black-collared hawk which prefers fish, watching
for them from a look-out from which it also emits its not-unpleasant call.
In summer wet places accumulate a surprising variety of frogs and toads
which shriek their invitations to their females in a mad chorus. Some species
are tree-frogs with specially adapted finger-pads for climbing.
How to get there:
From Resistencia take route 16 as far as the turn off northwards or route 9 to
Colonia Elisa, some 28 km away. From here it is some 15 km to Capitan Solari
some 6 km from the park. There is a daily bus service to Solari.
Of interest to the visitor:
There is a large shaded camping area from which all the trails leave. There are
bathrooms, fire-pits, tables, drinking water and electricity. A road heads NW from
the HQ/camping area - please drive very slowly. From it one can walk two trails
which lead to: * Carpincho and Yacaré lagoons; three kilometres through riverine
forest take one to the look-out over these bodies of water to see the great variety
of waterbirds. * Sendero de la Flora leaves from the camping area; 1.5 km long,
it helps you identify and enjoy the tree species of the park. A vehicle trail to Panza
de Cabra lake is another alternative to see and enjoy the nature found in the park;
12 km long through chaco woods where one can see what the chaco quebracho
stands once were, eventually reaching the lake.
