Most people are at least somewhat familiar with the significant role the Panama Canal plays in the global economy. The canal facilitates the organized transport and trade of mass amounts of consumer goods each year, and plays a pivotal role in the advancement of the world economy. The operation of the Panama Canal relies not only on precise and comprehensive engineering endeavors, but also on nature to supply the rainfall required to keep the canal operating smoothly. The Rio Chagres plays a vital role in delivering the water and energy needed to maintain the operation of the canal.

Besides having the unique characteristic of flowing into both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, the Rio Chagres also supplies a majority of the water used to control water levels in the Panama Canal and to generate the electricity that keeps it in operation. Due to the global importance of the Panama Canal, the Rio Chagres is arguably one of the most noteworthy rivers in the world. The Rio Chagres and its tributaries receive around 200 inches of annual rainfall, which rapidly flows from the surrounding steep, domed mountains into Lake Alajuela, a manmade lake which feeds controlled amounts of water into the locks of the canal by way of The Madden Dam.

Throughout the Panama Canal’s historical existence, increased deforestation has bestowed ecological challenges upon the area and has incited concern over the preservation of the canal. With decreased density of the vegetation in the surrounding areas, the Rio Chagres was faced with even more rapid currents, in turn causing erosion of the land and a collection of sediment within the canal that threatened water levels for the canal. In order to preserve this biologically and economically critical area, Chagres National Park was established to protect the rainforest, the river, plants and animals in the watershed of the Rio Chagres.

Adventure seeking visitors to Panama can plan excursions that allow them to experience the marvel of the Rio Chagres first hand. A simple boat trip along the Rio Chagres gives spectators the opportunity to explore the colorful natural beauty of an ecosystem teeming with life while experiencing firsthand one of the major drivers of the global economy. Lucky explorers may even have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the native Emberá Indians, a few of which migrated to the Rio Chagres area several decades ago and established cultural continuity living their lives along the banks of this amazing river.