| Río Frío | |
| Name Etymology: | "Cold river" |
| Pushpin Map: | Colombia |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Río Frío in Colombia |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 5.1186°N -74.0133°W |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 4.8351°N -74.0821°W |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Colombia |
| Subdivision Type2: | Department |
| Subdivision Name2: | Cundinamarca |
| Subdivision Type3: | Provinces |
| Subdivision Type4: | Municipalities |
| Source1: | Páramo de Guerrero |
| Source1 Location: | Zipaquirá |
| Source1 Elevation: | 3700m (12,100feet) |
| Mouth: | Bogotá River |
| Mouth Location: | Chía |
| Mouth Elevation: | 2650m (8,690feet) |
| River System: | Bogotá River Magdalena Basin Caribbean Sea |
The Río Frío ("Cold river") is a river on the Bogotá savanna and a right tributary of the Bogotá River. The river, in a basin of 6008.69ha, originates on the Páramo de Guerrero in Zipaquirá at an altitude of 3700m (12,100feet). It flows through the municipalities Tabio and Cajicá and into the Bogotá River in the south of Chía, at 2650m (8,690feet) above sea level.
The Río Frío originates on the Páramo de Guerrero at an altitude of 3700m (12,100feet), in the north of the municipality Zipaquirá. The river flows north and westward before flowing south through Tabio. From there, the river flows eastward through Cajicá to turn south through Chía where in the southern part of the municipality, close to the border with Suba, Bogotá the Río Frío flows into the Bogotá River at an elevation of 2550m (8,370feet).
In the valley of the Río Frío, shales belonging to the Guaduas Formation are outcropping.[1] [2] Also the Cacho, Bogotá and Chorrera Formations are present in the Río Frío valley.[3] [4] [5] During the Last Glacial Maximum in the Late Pleistocene, the Río Frío deposited conglomerates and sands.[6]
The basin of the Río Frío covers Zipaquirá, Pacho, Subachoque, Tabio, Cogua, Cota, Cajicá and Chía.[7] The cultivation of flowers produces contamination of the Río Frío. The river overflows frequently.[8] Carbon mining is present in the Río Frío basin.[9]