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The Provincial Manzano Histórico Reservation is located
in the Department of Tunuyán, at an altitude of 1200
metres above the sea level, 120 kilometres from the city
of Mendoza and 40 kilometres from the city of Tunuyán.
It covers an area of about 1000 hectares. It protects
the Sanmartiniano historical monument. It is notable for
its landscape and the quality of water from their
streams, which make it an excellent tourist attraction.
The area is an important fish station from the Renewable
Natural Resources Bureau, which serves to supply the
main streams in the province with salmon like fish.
Geology and Geomorphology
The reservation is located in the Eastern sector of the
Cordon del Portillo in the Frontal Range, including a
foothill sector. The Frontal Range is connected to the
Main Range and disappears to the South of the Diamante
River, with heights reaching up to 5000 or 6000 metres
above sea level. It is a very old Precambrian and
Paleozoic aged mass, penetrated by granitic bodies and
other magmatic rocks.
In the Cordon del Portillo, the relief is made on an
association of volcanic rocks as riolitas and dacitas.
The elevations of the relief of the Cordon del Portillo
barely reach the altitude of 5500 metres; this area is
therefore lower than the Cordon del Plata. This reduces
significantly rainfalls, making the climate extremely
arid.
The arid climate has favoured the formation of soft
erosion surfaces in the foothills (pedimentos), which
have been covered by deposits of ancient alluvial fans.
In that area, there are two streams: the Arroyo Pircas
and Arroyo Grande. They have a permanent regime and
their waters originate mostly from the snow and ice
melting on the High Mountain range. Their flows have a
noticeable increase in the months of December and
January. Their physical chemical characteristics allow
them to be classified as excellent for both human
consumption and for irrigation.
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