Río Chico is an intermittent watercourse winding through the central Patagonian steppe of Chubut Province, Argentina. Stretching approximately 300 kilometers, the river originates near Lago Colhué Huapi at an elevation of roughly 260 meters and flows in a northeasterly direction before emptying into the Embalse del Dique Florentino Ameghino, where it joins the Río Chubut system. This makes it the second most significant hydrological basin in the province. The river is notable for tracing the edges of dramatic cañadones — steep-sided ravines and gorges — that define its course through the arid Patagonian landscape. The headwaters area features a broad, expansive lagoon that swells considerably with rainfall and can easily be mistaken for the lake itself. The surrounding terrain is characterized by sparse steppe vegetation typical of central Patagonia, with rural estancias and scattered rural populations along its banks despite the persistently dry conditions of the region.