Rivers of Paraguay

The rivers of Paraguay have served, in the absence of usable roads, as natural ways to access the more remote Paraguayan territories. Some of them, the major tributaries of Paraguay and Parana, enabled navigation on a small scale, and smaller boats with limited use in times of drought due to decreasing flow of water flows.

Among the subsidiaries of the left bank of the Paraguay River are:

The Jejui River covers an area of approximately 350 km. It receives water from rivers Jejui-mi and the Jejui Guazú, in addition to substantial influx of the Aguaray River. Near its emerging flow together the Curuguaty River and the stream Itanará.

Historically it had strategic importance for Portuguese colonists, who continuously attempted to control this communication channel providing access to the Paraguay River, which was a fast way to reach the gold mines of Cuyabá.

The whole area surrounding the river was committed to defending the sovereignty of Paraguay in the delicate dispute with Portugal for the possession of the region that produced mate herb in Igatimí.

The town of Curuguaty is accessed by the Jejui River, when the water level allowed it. The overland journey from Asunción consumed much time because of the distance and natural difficulties of crossing jungles and rivers.

This town, like others in remote parts of the country, suffered from a sharp isolation. For that reason Curuguaty was chosen by the dictator José Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia as a place of imprisonment of the Uruguayan leader General Jose Gervasio Artigas when he applied for asylum in Paraguay.

The river maintained in the past a greater flow by the regularity of rain and humidity sustained by its extensive forests. Until the middle of twentieth century it was common to observe in its lower reaches, the transit of boats transporting hardwoods and mate.

In the boom of the mate herb production there was a constant movement of small-size boats coming up ports of Itaba and Ysaú. The first was a major point of embarkation of mate, belonging to the powerful Paraguayan Industrial Company, established shortly after the Paraguayan War.

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Wikipedia