Introduction The Cañete River watershed located in the central Peruvian Andes, is undergoing hydrological changes due to global rising temperatures, landuse changes and increased water supply demand. At the river’s source in the ice-covered mountains at 5,800 m.a.s.l., changes in the landscape are evident given the ever receding snow covered ground. According to aerial photographs of the snowcap mountains, out of the 16 snow peaks that existed in 1962, only 11 remained in 1990 (Cementos Lima S.A.).