The Yucatan lowlands have no rivers, making freshwater storage systems particularly important there.
Notes on verification
Multiple independent geological, hydrological, and archaeological sources (USGS, UNESCO, PNAS, Nature) confirm the lack of surface rivers due to karst topography and the resulting reliance on cenotes, reservoirs, and cisterns for freshwater.
Sources
- Drought May Have Spelled End for Maya | HISTORY (history.com)
- https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/little-has-been-done-recognise-ancient-mayan-practices-groundwater-management (unesco.org)
- https://www.frommers.com/destinations/yucatan-peninsula/in-depth/the-lay-of-the-land/ (frommers.com)
- https://www.backyardnature.net/yucatan/geology~.htm (backyardnature.net)
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02456-1 (nature.com)
- https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2306870120 (pnas.org)
- https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70018958 (pubs.usgs.gov)