See also: Ugly (homonymy)

The Moche ( río Moche in Spanish) is a river of the North-West of the Peru, which takes its source in the Andes cordillera, at the place where the chain of tops of the Western Cordillère constitutes the Watershed between the basin of the the Amazon and that of the Pacifique. Its source is located in the Laguna Grande, in the surroundings of the district of Quiruvilca, on the Cerro Pelón Chicoà, to 3.988 m of altitude. The río Moche throws in the Pacific Ocean close to the town of Trujillo, in the department of Libertad, after having traversed 102 km, with an uneven means of 4%.

The Moche river gave its name to a civilization - the culture Moche (sometimes called Mochica ) - which opened out in its valley as from second century BC to die out during the 8th century.

It is located between the parallels 7º 46 ' and 8º 15 ' of southern latitude, and the meridian lines 78º 16 ' and there 79º 08 ' of western longitude.

Hydrology

The watershed of the Moche river covers a surface of 2.708 km ². Its water allows the irrigation of 10.500 hectares arable lands. Like the majority of the rivers of the coast, the Ugly one shows the particular characteristics of a torrent, since one can observe important differences between his extreme parameters. Thus, the maximum flow controls rose up to 556,88 m3/s. and the minimum was of zero, giving an approximate annual average of 9,53 m3/s. This mode irregular and torrent-like is not without posing some problems with the farmers who use his water.

Its principal affluents are:

• on Right Bank:
• the Río Motil;
• the Río Chota;
• the Río Otuzco;
• the Río Catuay;
• on left bank:
• the Río Chanchacap.

The valley of Ugly is of form relatrivement widened, and is still widening as the river approaches its mouth. But in the mountainous part of the course, it deep and is cut sloping ravines and escarpés reliefs.

See too

• List of rivers in the world