Altar River
river in Mexico
The Altar River is a river located in the northern mountains of Sonora, Mexico.
The Altar is a desert river with seasonal flows. It originates near the international border with the United States and flows southwesterly, joining the Magdalena River to form the Concepción River. The upper reaches of the Altar was dammed in 1943 to form the Cuauhtemoc Reservoir just west of Tubutama. The river claims a watershed of 2,801 km2 (1,081 sq mi).
The public source identifies “Altar River” as river in Mexico. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Altar, River and river.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Altar River”, the useful work is to connect “river in Mexico” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 4, 2023. The linked authority identifier is Q4736170. VIAF identifies the subject as 315134577. Authority coordinates are 30.626, -111.960. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1943.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Altar River”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Altar River primary sources, Altar River archive and Altar research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Altar River”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Altar River” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.