Mapa hidrográfico urbano y zonas en peligro de inundación en Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, México
Urban hydrographic map and flood hazard zones in Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico
Juan Carlos Mora-Chaparro1,*, Nelly Lucero Ramírez-Serrato2, Mario Ángel Morales-Valencia3, Jesús Jacob Nieto-Butrón2, María del Carmen Oviedo-Parra3, Raúl Guerrero-Bustamante3, Mario Alberto Hernández-Hernández2
1 Grupo de peligros y riesgos por fenómenos naturales, Instituto de Geofísica, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8745, S/N, Indeco La Huerta, 58341, Morelia, Michoacán, México.
2 Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Circuito de la Investigación Científica, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, CDMX, México.
3 Geoparque Mundial UNESCO Comarca Minera. Reforma 7, Centro, 043503, Huasca de Ocampo, Hidalgo, México.
* Autor para correspondencia: (J.C. Mora-Chaparro) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
How to cite this article:
Mora-Chaparro, J.C., Ramírez-Serrato, N.L., Morales-Valencia, M.A., Nieto-Butrón, J.J., Oviedo-Parra, M.C., Guerrero-Bustamante, R., Hernández-Hernández, M.A., 2025, Mapa hidrográfico urbano y zonas en peligro de inundación en Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, México: Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, 77(3), A180625. http://dx.doi.org/10.18268/BSGM2025v77n3a180625
Manuscript received: January 8, 2025. Corrected manuscript received: March 24, 2025. Manuscript accepted: June 12, 2025.
ABSTRACT
2024 will be remembered as one of the most devastating years in Mexico due to disasters associated with hydrometeorological phenomena. Tropical cyclones, severe storms, and floods affected various regions of the country, testing the resilience of civil infrastructure and water management systems. In Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, urban flooding occurs annually, and in the past five years new flood-prone areas have emerged. The lack of an effective strateg y to reduce flood-prone zones and mitigate damages contrasts with the disorganized urban growth that has modified the natural courses of streams and rivers—many of which have been culverted, encroached upon, or eliminated. This has altered the natural hydrographic network, giving rise to an urban hydrographic network where runoff now flows through streets. This study presents the urban hydrographic map of Pachuca de Soto, which integrates the natural sub-basin, nine micro-basins, and six hydrographic areas derived from the analysis of both the urban layout and its natural surroundings. Based on these data, a two-dimensional numerical model of surface runoff was developed, revealing alterations in natural flow patterns caused by anthropogenic changes. The results show stream overflows and flooding of areas adjacent to former channels. Fieldwork confirmed flood-susceptible areas and identified new risk zones associated with surface runoff along streets, which were incorporated into the definition of the new urban hydrographic network. The urban hydrographic map represents an essential tool for understanding the city’s hydrological dynamics and for designing urban planning and flood risk management strategies.
Keywords: urban hydrographic map, urban hydrographic network, watersheds, urban tributaries, flood hazard.