Piracicaba River

Rio Piracicaba when flowing through the city of Piracicaba

The river Rio Piracicaba is located in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The Rio Piracicaba has several meandering paths. The river's name comes from the Tupi- Guaraní Piraciaba and says " place where the fish stops ". , Rio ' (Portuguese ) itself says, river'.

It involves the quantitatively largest tributary of the Tietê River. In addition, the Rio Piracicaba one of the major water bodies within the State of São Paulo and in particular for the local metropolitan region of Campinas.

Geografik and location

The riverbed of the Rio Piracicaba covers an area of ​​12,531 km ², and is located in the southeast of the state of São Paulo and in the extreme south of Minas Gerais.

The confluence of the rivers Atibaia and Jaguari springs from the Rio Piracicaba in the city of Americana. After passing through the eponymous town of Piracicaba river meets with its main inflow, the Rio Corumbataí. Then goes through the Rio Piracicaba another 250 km, before he da Serra and Barra Bonita empties into the Rio Tietê in the area of ​​the cities of Santa Maria.

The river bed is found in one of the most developed regions of the state of São Paulo, and includes towns such as Bragança Paulista, Campinas, Limeira, Americana, Atibaia, Rio Claro, Santa Bárbara d' Oeste and the city of Piracicaba itself

History and use of the river

The river was a waterway use and presented during the 18th century, access to the neighboring states of Mato Grosso and Paraná dar. cities like Piracicaba were founded on its banks.

During the 19th and 20th century small steam ships sailed on the river. In addition, this represented a supply is, for factories and the production of sugar cane and coffee.

By 1960, as the government of São Paulo decided to further utilization of the river to supply water to the metropolitan region of São Paulo. Thus, different dams were applied to the origins of the river. This retention and partially diverting the inflows attracted a lower water level of the river by itself.

Approximately in 1980 caused the progressive urbanization and industrialization in the metropolitan region of Campinas an increasing water pollution in the already smaller amount of water of the Rio Piracicaba. This is one of the river at the beginning of the 21st century the most polluted waters in Brazil.

In recent years, a strengthening of environmental groups, more controls and efforts to protect water have prevented further deterioration of this condition. The equally beneficial are sewage treatment plants, which have been set up in some cities. Nevertheless, the water of the Rio Piracicaba is in much of the river course still unsuitable to be fed human or animal consumption only.

The construction of a sluice near its mouth at Santa Maria da Serra shipping could be resumed on the river. For a navigability up near the town of Piracicaba and a connection to the Tietê - Paraná waterway would become possible. However, there is as yet no this feasibility study.

Culture

The Rio Piracicaba crosses one of the oldest regions of the colonization of the State of São Paulo. A firm place in the culture of Rio Piracicaba in the same city that grew along the river banks. In this town hosts several popular festivals near the river banks. In a Brazilian song Rio de Lágrimas (, flow of tears ') of the Rio Piracicaba is sung also.