Tietê River

Tietê River (Rio Tietê)
River
Tietê River at Barra Bonita and Igaraçu do Tietê
Country	Brazil
Region	South America
Location	São Paulo state
Source	Salesópolis, Serra do Mar
- elevation	1,120 m (3,675 ft)
Mouth	Lake at the Eng Souza Dias (Jupiá) Dam, Paraná River
- elevation	280.5 m (920 ft)
Length	1,150 km (715 mi)
Basin	150,000 km2 (57,915 sq mi)
Discharge
- average	2,500 m3/s (88,287 cu ft/s)
Map of the La Plata Basin, showing the Tietê River flowing from São Paulo to the Paraná River.

The Tietê River (Portuguese, Rio Tietê) is a Brazilian river in the state of São Paulo.

The source is in Salesópolis in the Serra do Mar, at 1,120 m altitude. Although the source is at most 22 kilometres (14 mi) from the coast, the escarpment of the Serra do Mar forces it to run in the opposite direction, to the interior, going through the state of São Paulo from southeast to northwest till it runs into the artificial lake formed by Eng Souza Dias (Jupiá) Dam on the Paraná River, in the municipality of Três Lagoas, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the city of Pereira Barreto.

The name Tietê was registered for the first time on a map published in 1748 by d’Anville. The name signifies "The truthful river", or "truthful waters" in Tupi.

A “set of sources” make up the "Park of the sources of the Tietê River," which is situated in the municipality of Salesópolis. It is an area of about 134 hectares, of which 9,6 ha already is under environmental control. This park protects the varying sources of the river and will certainly form the most important protected area of the state of São Paulo.

Initially, when the park was in the hands of private persons, the original flora was destroyed. When the property rights fell to the State, its area was recuperated and is now presenting secondary forest again. A local mural provides some data of the sources of the Tietê River. As these data indicate, one may verify that a source produces more than 3 cubic metres per hour (0.029 cu ft/s) of water. Along the length of its initial stretch, the Tietê River receives additional water from various small streams, turning into a current with an elevated volume of water, in the short distance it has run.

On entering the municipality of Salesópolis, it encounters one of the first hydroelectric power stations constructed in Brazil, which is the actual "Usina Parque de Salesópolis" ("park of Salesópolis" Factory), Constructed in 1912 by the old São Paulo Tramway, Light and Power Company, it generated energy from an artificial waterfall with a height of 72 m of the river. The park is open for public visits, and there is a museum next to the factory. From 2008 the production of electric energy has been resumed.