Ribeira de Iguape River
| Ribeira de Iguape River | |
|---|---|
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| Native name | Rio Ribeira de Iguape |
| Country | Brazil |
| Basin features | |
| Main source |
Paraná state 24°54′21″S 49°28′18″W / 24.905965°S 49.471624°W |
| River mouth | Atlantic Ocean 24°40′10″S 47°24′47″W / 24.669319°S 47.412951°WCoordinates: 24°40′10″S 47°24′47″W / 24.669319°S 47.412951°W |
| Tributaries |
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| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 470 kilometres (290 mi) |
The Ribeira de Iguape River (Portuguese: Rio Ribeira de Iguape), or simply the Ribeira River(Portuguese: Rio Ribeira), is a river of Paraná and São Paulo states in southeastern Brazil. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Iguape. The river is home to several endemic species of fish. So far no dams have been built on the river, although four have been proposed. Although it flows through a relatively sparsely populated region with untouched areas of Atlantic Forest, the river has been contaminated with heavy metals from mining beyond the point where it is considered safe to eat the molluscs found in the river and its estuary.
The Ribeira de Iguape River is 470 kilometres (290 mi) long, and is the largest in São Paulo to have no dams along its length. It forms at the confluence of the Ribeirinha River and the Açunguí River in the state of Paraná less than 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Curitiba. The elevation at its origin is about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). The main source is in the Campos Gerais National Park. About 120 kilometres (75 mi) of the river is in the state of Paraná. Major tributaries of the river in Sao Paulo are the Juquiá, São Lourenço, Itariri, Una da Aldeia, Pardo and Jacupiranga.
In its upper course the Ribeira de Iguape runs through the mountains of the Serra do Mar, and has turbulent waters that are popular for rafting. In the first 290 kilometres (180 mi) it drops about 900 metres (3,000 ft) through the mountains to the region near Itapeuna. From there it descends 90 metres (300 ft) in 90 kilometres (56 mi) to the city of Registro, where it is only 5 metres (16 ft) above sea level, although still 70 kilometres (43 mi) from its mouth.
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Wikipedia