Júcar

a river in eastern Spain. The Júcar is 498 km long and drains an area of 22,400 sq km. It rises in the southwestern spurs of the Sistema Ibérico and crosses La Mancha and Valencia before emptying into the Gulf of Valencia of the Mediterranean Sea. The river is shallow in the summer, but has a greater quantity of water in the winter and spring. The mean flow rate is approximately 40 cu m per sec. There are reservoirs on the Júcar and its tributary the Cabriel; an example is the Alarcón Reservoir, which holds approximately 10 million cu m of water. On the lower course of the river are the Cofrentes, Cortés de Pallás, and Millares hydroelectric power plants. The Júcar is used for irrigation, primarily on citrus plantations. The cities of Cuenca and Alcira are situated on the Júcar.