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Creative Commons License BY 4.0.
This report is for the watershed with an outlet near 30°04'44"S, 51°16'22"W, or (-30.079, -51.273), with a drainage area of around 82,500 km².
The watershed is entirely within Brazil, and in two states, as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. States in the watershed.
| State | Area (km²) | Percent of watershed |
|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande do Sul | 82,500 | 100% |
| Santa Catarina | 22 | 0% |
Data on political boundaries comes from Natural Earth, https://www.naturalearthdata.com.
The watershed has an estimated population of 6,970,000 in the year 2020. Figure 1 shows how population has changed from 1990 to 2020. The population grew at an average rate of 0.9% per year over this time period.
Population data comes from GlobPop, Global Gridded Population Estimates, created by researchers at Beijing Normal University (Liu 2024).
Human population growth can affect water quality via increased pollution from households, industry, and agriculture. Further, land use and land cover change associated with population growth can have a major impact on watersheds (see the next section of this report).
The most common land cover type in the watershed is tree cover, covering 28,600 km² in 2020. More detailed information about land cover and how it has changed is shown in Table 3 and Figure 2 below. Pairs of bars represent the area for each land cover type in the years 2000 and 2020.
Table 3. Land cover in the watershed.
| Land Cover Type | Area in 2000, km² | Area in 2020, km² | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree cover | 29,500 | 28,600 | -2% |
| Dense short vegetation | 30,900 | 22,000 | -28% |
| Cropland | 13,300 | 20,800 | 55% |
| Built-up | 3,890 | 6,640 | 70% |
| Wetland + dense short vegetation | 2,670 | 2,220 | -17% |
| Open surface water | 1,150 | 1,180 | 2% |
| Wetland + tree cover | 1,140 | 1,140 | 0% |
Land cover data comes from the GLAD: Global Land Cover and Land Use Change, 2000-2020 (Popatov et al. 2022). This dataset, created by researchers at the University of Maryland, is available online here. Classification is based on satellite imagery from Landsat and machine learning tools.
Land cover change can profoundly influence watershed hydrology and water quality. Urbanization and development can increase the impervious cover, causing more water to run off rather than infiltrate into the ground. This can decrease groundwater recharge and river baseflows, or the flows that occur during dry times. Deforestation and agricultural development are often accompanied by an increase in soil erosion and sediment loads. Other land use types are associated with water pollution. For example, agriculture can increase loads of pesticides and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from fertilizers. Urbanization and industrialization can cause contamination from a wide range of chemicals used in households and industry.
The average annual precipitation over the watershed is 1,589 mm/year. (Precipitation includes all forms of water, including snow and rain.) Some of this water leaves the watershed surface via evaporation and transpiration, or the loss of water from plants. Annual evapotranspiration is estimated at 945 mm/year. The basin climatology, or the monthly average precipitation and evapotranspiration, is shown in Figure 4.
Precipitation data comes from WorldClim, a global gridded dataset by researchers at the University of East Anglia (Harris et al. 2020). This dataset is based on downscaling and bias-correcting the CRU-TS dataset (Fick and Hijmans 2017), which is based on a large collection of station observations that span 1901–2018.
Evapotranspiration is even more difficult to estimate than precipitation. Here, we use a dataset, GLEAM v3.6B, which combines modeling and remote sensing data (Martens et al. 2017; Miralles et al. 2011).
It is difficult to estimate water cycle variables over large areas. So you should keep in mind that these estimates are uncertain (not perfect).
The GRACE satellites provide information about changes in the amount of water over different locations on the Earth. Figure 3 shows the average terrestrial water storage anomaly over the watershed.
The GRACE satellites make highly accurate measurements of the Earth's gravitational field, and provide measurements of changes in the mass of water on a monthly time scale. These measurements do not tell us how much water there is in a region, but rather, how it the amount of water has changed compared to a baseline. The measurement includes all forms of water, including water in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, soil moisture, groundwater, glaciers, snow, and ice. For an introduction to GRACE, see the section of my PhD thesis on Remote Sensing of the Water Cycle.
The total amount of water in the watershed appears to be trending upwards at a rate of 2.1 cm per decade (P < 0.01). This P-value suggests that the observed trend is statistically significant; it is unlikely the trend is due to random chance.
GRACE Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly data is from the Center for Space Research at the University of Texas, Austin (Save et al. 2016, 2022).
The watershed had about 2247.2 km² of land equipped for irrigation in 2005. This is about 2.7% of the watershed. Figure 5 shows the development of irrigated area from 1900 to 2005. These estimates are based on a global dataset published by an international team of researchers (Siebert et al. 2015).
Irrigation brings many benefits for growing crops. In arid regions, it enables production where it would be otherwise impossible. In humid regions, irrigation can increase crop quality and yield, and provide more certainty against unpredictable climate. Yet, the expansion of irrigation can have impacts on watersheds that need to be carefully managed.
Increased irrigation usually requires more water to be withdrawn from rivers, lakes, or groundwater sources, which can reduce streamflow and alter natural flow patterns. This reduced flow can harm aquatic ecosystems and diminish the water available downstream for other uses. Irrigation often introduces fertilizers and pesticides into the watershed, and may increase soil erosion and sediment transport. When nutrients run off into rivers and streams, they can lead to nutrient pollution, algal blooms, and eutrophication. This plus chemical pesticides and herbicides negatively impacts aquatic life and water quality for human uses.
This watershed contains 421 dams identified in the Global Dam Watch database, with a total storage capacity of 7,030 million m³.
Information on these dams is listed in Table 4. The number and size of dams in a watershed is one measure of hydromodification, or how much the natural hydrologic cycle is influenced by human activities.
Table 4. Dams in the watershed. Unknown or missing data shown with a dash.
| Dam Name | Reservoir Name | River | Main Use | Year | Dam Height (m) | Capacity (10⁶ m³) | Latitude | Longitude | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | – | -29.031 | -51.521 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -29.609 | -51.951 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -28.615 | -51.403 | – | ||
| São Paulo | – | Uruguay | Hydroelectricity | – | -28.769 | -51.836 | – | ||
| Passo de Meio | – | Taquari | Hydroelectricity | – | -28.807 | -50.613 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -29.128 | -53.320 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -29.122 | -53.366 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -28.941 | -51.773 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -29.924 | -53.415 | – | ||
| Autódromo | – | Uruguay | Hydroelectricity | – | -28.828 | -51.842 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -28.936 | -51.460 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -28.891 | -51.456 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -30.093 | -52.502 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -29.947 | -51.895 | – | ||
| – | – | – | – | – | -28.560 | -51.402 | – | ||
| Passo Real | Real | Jacui | Hydroelectricity | Built 1973 | 58.0 | 3671.0 | -29.014 | -53.188 | – |
| Itauba | – | Jacui | – | Built 1978 | 90.0 | 600.0 | -29.259 | -53.236 | – |
| Dona Francisca | – | Jacui | – | Built 2001 | 47.0 | 335.0 | -29.448 | -53.288 | – |
| Ernestina | – | Jacui | – | Built 1954 | 13.0 | 258.0 | -28.555 | -52.543 | – |
| – | – | – | – | – | 144.4 | -30.232 | -52.928 | – | |
| Castro Alves | – | Das Antas | Hydroelectricity | Built 2008 | 48.0 | 126.0 | -29.005 | -51.383 | link |
| Quatorze de Julho | – | Das Antas | Hydroelectricity | Built 2009 | 33.0 | 55.0 | -29.066 | -51.675 | – |
| – | – | – | – | – | 53.4 | -29.074 | -53.209 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 43.8 | -29.328 | -50.615 | – | |
| Capigui | – | Capigui | – | Built 1950 | 22.0 | 42.0 | -28.350 | -52.215 | – |
| – | – | – | – | – | 30.7 | -29.299 | -50.568 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2013 | 30.1 | -29.037 | -50.988 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 30.1 | -30.029 | -53.041 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 29.2 | -29.314 | -50.674 | – | |
| Pezzi | – | – | Hydroelectricity | Built 2012 | 25.6 | -28.793 | -50.565 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1986 | 21.3 | -30.486 | -53.093 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 21.0 | -30.136 | -53.694 | – | |
| Criúva Palanquinho | – | – | Hydroelectricity | Built 2010 | 19.8 | -28.965 | -50.798 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 18.4 | -29.915 | -53.564 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 18.0 | -29.920 | -53.186 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 14.5 | -29.981 | -52.858 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 12.5 | -30.174 | -52.724 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 12.3 | -30.158 | -52.520 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 12.1 | -30.028 | -53.730 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 11.0 | -30.108 | -53.193 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 10.9 | -30.244 | -54.310 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1988 | 10.7 | -29.914 | -54.103 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 10.6 | -30.081 | -53.682 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1992 | 10.4 | -30.496 | -54.332 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 10.4 | -30.103 | -53.773 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 10.1 | -30.078 | -53.769 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 9.9 | -30.265 | -54.115 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 9.6 | -30.010 | -53.199 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 9.6 | -30.228 | -52.898 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 9.4 | -29.766 | -52.647 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1998 | 9.2 | -30.500 | -54.445 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 9.0 | -30.090 | -53.798 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2010 | 9.0 | -28.902 | -50.811 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 8.8 | -30.192 | -53.200 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1994 | 8.7 | -30.419 | -54.201 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1993 | 8.7 | -30.055 | -54.203 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 8.7 | -29.775 | -52.126 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 8.6 | -30.360 | -54.412 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 8.1 | -29.744 | -53.194 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 8.1 | -30.107 | -54.082 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 7.9 | -30.404 | -54.224 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2002 | 7.8 | -30.435 | -54.506 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 7.7 | -30.109 | -53.218 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 7.6 | -30.031 | -53.606 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 7.4 | -30.295 | -54.186 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 7.4 | -30.153 | -53.008 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 7.3 | -30.074 | -54.036 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 7.1 | -30.010 | -52.038 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 7.0 | -30.106 | -54.003 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1989 | 6.9 | -30.228 | -54.194 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1997 | 6.9 | -30.031 | -53.670 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 6.9 | -30.022 | -54.061 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 6.7 | -30.086 | -52.623 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.7 | -30.030 | -53.945 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.6 | -30.089 | -53.986 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 6.6 | -30.036 | -53.311 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.5 | -30.126 | -54.029 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.5 | -30.003 | -53.114 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.5 | -30.057 | -53.848 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.5 | -29.833 | -52.780 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.5 | -30.160 | -53.723 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.4 | -30.126 | -54.190 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.3 | -30.081 | -54.174 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.3 | -29.672 | -53.784 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 6.3 | -30.115 | -51.948 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.2 | -30.047 | -53.681 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 6.1 | -29.903 | -54.174 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.1 | -29.799 | -52.772 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.0 | -30.027 | -52.214 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 6.0 | -30.079 | -51.477 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1988 | 6.0 | -29.935 | -53.832 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.9 | -30.091 | -52.709 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.9 | -30.181 | -54.223 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.9 | -30.058 | -53.084 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.9 | -30.478 | -53.181 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 5.9 | -30.216 | -52.799 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 5.9 | -30.168 | -54.311 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.8 | -30.074 | -52.072 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.8 | -30.081 | -53.177 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.7 | -29.907 | -54.030 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 5.7 | -30.225 | -53.149 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.6 | -30.491 | -54.491 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.6 | -29.907 | -53.956 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.5 | -30.044 | -53.168 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.5 | -30.448 | -54.512 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.5 | -30.277 | -54.406 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.4 | -29.793 | -53.015 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.4 | -30.215 | -54.282 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.4 | -30.187 | -52.985 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 5.3 | -30.066 | -52.660 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.3 | -29.978 | -53.697 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.3 | -30.103 | -53.394 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.3 | -30.252 | -53.235 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.3 | -30.204 | -53.019 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.2 | -30.144 | -54.057 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.2 | -29.924 | -53.603 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.1 | -30.043 | -54.071 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.1 | -30.292 | -54.428 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.1 | -30.170 | -52.173 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.0 | -30.111 | -52.953 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.0 | -30.074 | -52.016 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5.0 | -30.392 | -54.408 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.9 | -30.199 | -53.327 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.9 | -30.178 | -52.593 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.9 | -30.087 | -53.384 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.9 | -30.073 | -53.722 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.8 | -30.149 | -52.785 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.8 | -29.896 | -52.840 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.8 | -30.173 | -53.206 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.8 | -30.149 | -53.791 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.8 | -30.168 | -54.069 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.8 | -30.179 | -54.260 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.8 | -29.932 | -53.511 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.7 | -30.038 | -54.012 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.7 | -29.835 | -54.203 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 4.6 | -30.025 | -53.962 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 4.6 | -29.752 | -52.902 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.6 | -29.991 | -54.020 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.6 | -30.004 | -53.270 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.6 | -30.151 | -54.199 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 4.5 | -30.061 | -53.156 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.5 | -30.215 | -53.053 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1987 | 4.5 | -30.270 | -54.433 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.5 | -30.144 | -53.207 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1988 | 4.5 | -30.440 | -53.152 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.5 | -30.461 | -53.184 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.5 | -30.100 | -53.307 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 4.5 | -29.896 | -52.878 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.5 | -30.069 | -53.849 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 4.5 | -29.840 | -52.990 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.5 | -30.224 | -52.738 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.4 | -30.183 | -54.019 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.4 | -30.183 | -53.223 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1995 | 4.4 | -30.016 | -53.710 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 4.4 | -30.036 | -53.159 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.3 | -29.740 | -52.752 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1998 | 4.3 | -29.994 | -54.230 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1987 | 4.3 | -30.471 | -54.533 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.3 | -30.308 | -54.334 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.3 | -29.816 | -53.853 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.3 | -30.161 | -52.853 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.3 | -30.169 | -52.820 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.3 | -30.226 | -53.178 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.3 | -29.866 | -52.673 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.2 | -30.077 | -53.369 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.2 | -30.095 | -53.448 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.2 | -30.147 | -54.123 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.2 | -30.119 | -53.668 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.2 | -30.146 | -54.270 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.1 | -30.033 | -53.353 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 4.1 | -30.091 | -53.649 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.1 | -30.034 | -53.207 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.1 | -30.231 | -52.525 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.1 | -30.155 | -54.115 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 4.0 | -30.152 | -52.398 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 4.0 | -30.047 | -54.128 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 3.9 | -30.196 | -52.508 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1993 | 3.9 | -29.994 | -54.198 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.9 | -30.074 | -53.415 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.9 | -30.128 | -52.569 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.9 | -30.070 | -52.052 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.9 | -30.370 | -53.155 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.9 | -30.196 | -54.221 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.9 | -30.053 | -53.597 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.8 | -30.191 | -52.497 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 3.8 | -29.811 | -53.478 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.8 | -30.558 | -54.374 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.8 | -30.212 | -54.262 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.8 | -29.906 | -53.386 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.8 | -30.097 | -53.337 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 3.8 | -30.124 | -54.153 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.7 | -29.912 | -53.546 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.7 | -30.145 | -53.763 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.7 | -30.098 | -54.063 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.7 | -30.181 | -53.178 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.7 | -29.951 | -52.715 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.7 | -29.802 | -53.753 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.7 | -30.175 | -52.482 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.6 | -30.321 | -54.250 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.6 | -30.153 | -53.523 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.6 | -29.917 | -52.838 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 3.6 | -30.169 | -53.096 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2000 | 3.6 | -30.039 | -54.173 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.6 | -29.849 | -52.652 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.6 | -29.804 | -53.438 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.6 | -30.191 | -53.343 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.5 | -30.007 | -53.973 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 3.5 | -30.110 | -52.566 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.5 | -30.482 | -54.465 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.5 | -30.256 | -53.187 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.5 | -30.187 | -52.840 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.5 | -30.066 | -53.836 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.5 | -30.190 | -52.485 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.5 | -30.061 | -53.054 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.5 | -30.482 | -54.528 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1997 | 3.5 | -30.038 | -53.505 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.4 | -30.134 | -54.266 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.4 | -30.063 | -52.644 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.4 | -30.427 | -53.076 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.4 | -29.874 | -53.686 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.4 | -29.883 | -53.720 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.3 | -30.115 | -53.876 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.3 | -30.059 | -53.683 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.3 | -30.078 | -53.794 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.3 | -30.102 | -53.319 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.3 | -30.145 | -52.809 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.3 | -30.248 | -54.206 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 3.3 | -29.881 | -54.007 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.2 | -29.747 | -53.130 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.2 | -30.055 | -53.575 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.2 | -30.499 | -54.406 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 3.2 | -30.161 | -53.232 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.2 | -30.120 | -53.256 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.2 | -30.175 | -54.037 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.2 | -30.082 | -54.158 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.2 | -29.948 | -50.809 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.2 | -30.136 | -53.662 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.1 | -30.152 | -53.691 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2001 | 3.1 | -28.851 | -53.696 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.1 | -30.142 | -52.787 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.1 | -30.207 | -52.211 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1998 | 3.0 | -30.144 | -53.361 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.0 | -30.191 | -53.261 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 3.0 | -29.816 | -53.829 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 3.0 | -30.028 | -53.586 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3.0 | -30.163 | -54.168 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.9 | -30.138 | -54.044 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.9 | -30.114 | -53.644 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.9 | -30.081 | -52.625 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.9 | -29.999 | -53.257 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.9 | -30.070 | -54.124 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.9 | -30.145 | -53.482 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.8 | -30.128 | -53.814 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.8 | -29.913 | -53.305 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.8 | -30.187 | -54.199 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.8 | -30.313 | -54.395 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.8 | -30.121 | -53.078 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1993 | 2.8 | -30.191 | -52.461 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.8 | -29.959 | -52.766 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.8 | -30.129 | -52.696 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.8 | -30.278 | -52.837 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -30.096 | -53.471 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -30.075 | -54.024 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -29.802 | -52.038 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -29.810 | -52.937 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -30.192 | -54.320 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -30.203 | -53.263 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -30.098 | -53.637 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1989 | 2.7 | -30.261 | -53.446 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -30.268 | -52.665 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -30.200 | -52.887 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -30.011 | -53.253 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | -30.312 | -54.342 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.6 | -30.156 | -52.595 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1988 | 2.6 | -30.145 | -53.370 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.6 | -30.169 | -53.212 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.6 | -29.910 | -53.064 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1994 | 2.6 | -30.265 | -54.099 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.6 | -30.076 | -54.141 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.6 | -30.002 | -54.033 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.6 | -29.776 | -53.833 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.6 | -30.188 | -53.158 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.6 | -30.031 | -53.515 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.6 | -30.220 | -52.556 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.6 | -29.788 | -52.901 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | -29.844 | -53.923 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | -30.171 | -54.337 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1989 | 2.5 | -30.147 | -53.775 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | -30.123 | -52.106 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | -30.423 | -54.433 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | -30.087 | -52.084 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.5 | -30.045 | -54.170 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | -30.181 | -54.194 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2015 | 2.5 | -28.611 | -53.311 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | -29.819 | -54.181 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | -29.773 | -52.767 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | -29.740 | -52.906 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.4 | -30.044 | -53.820 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.4 | -30.360 | -54.364 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.4 | -30.019 | -51.940 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.4 | -30.077 | -53.847 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.4 | -30.096 | -54.161 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.4 | -30.131 | -53.504 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.4 | -30.423 | -54.308 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.4 | -29.853 | -53.601 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.4 | -30.303 | -54.160 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.3 | -30.240 | -52.819 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1995 | 2.3 | -30.075 | -54.085 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.3 | -29.842 | -53.641 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1987 | 2.3 | -30.079 | -53.121 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.3 | -30.248 | -53.086 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2004 | 2.3 | -29.345 | -50.865 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.3 | -30.276 | -54.352 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1990 | 2.3 | -28.779 | -53.509 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.3 | -30.122 | -54.234 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.2 | -30.361 | -53.032 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.2 | -30.183 | -53.729 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.2 | -30.132 | -54.093 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.2 | -30.026 | -53.120 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.1 | -30.088 | -52.809 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.1 | -30.103 | -53.116 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.1 | -30.290 | -54.092 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.1 | -29.864 | -52.631 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.1 | -29.877 | -54.085 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.1 | -30.395 | -54.132 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 2.1 | -30.062 | -54.078 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -29.851 | -52.669 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.264 | -53.203 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.233 | -54.283 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.437 | -54.251 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.169 | -53.178 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1988 | 2.0 | -30.341 | -54.143 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1988 | 2.0 | -30.524 | -54.403 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.161 | -53.377 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.001 | -54.058 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.134 | -53.119 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1995 | 2.0 | -30.008 | -53.571 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -29.811 | -53.511 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -29.918 | -54.003 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.107 | -53.418 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.120 | -53.416 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | -30.184 | -53.267 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1995 | 1.9 | -30.229 | -52.705 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.9 | -30.274 | -54.175 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.9 | -30.246 | -54.100 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.9 | -30.232 | -53.386 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.9 | -30.147 | -53.428 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.8 | -29.794 | -53.748 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 1.8 | -30.078 | -54.153 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1990 | 1.8 | -30.369 | -54.301 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.8 | -30.114 | -53.066 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1994 | 1.8 | -30.056 | -54.163 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.8 | -29.944 | -54.065 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.8 | -30.220 | -52.831 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1988 | 1.8 | -30.444 | -53.238 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.8 | -30.113 | -52.825 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1999 | 1.8 | -30.124 | -53.530 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -30.252 | -53.257 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -30.047 | -53.834 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -30.045 | -51.509 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -29.745 | -53.879 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -29.770 | -52.697 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -29.833 | -53.333 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -29.936 | -53.613 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -29.875 | -53.294 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -29.837 | -53.337 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2008 | 1.7 | -28.872 | -53.699 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.7 | -30.202 | -54.130 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.6 | -29.853 | -53.174 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.6 | -30.386 | -53.080 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.6 | -30.142 | -53.508 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.6 | -30.047 | -53.605 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 1.6 | -29.825 | -53.815 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.6 | -28.584 | -53.429 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.6 | -30.114 | -53.464 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.6 | -30.239 | -53.241 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2013 | 1.6 | -29.053 | -53.119 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.5 | -30.099 | -54.122 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.5 | -30.094 | -52.115 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.5 | -30.149 | -53.474 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2013 | 1.5 | -28.582 | -53.453 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.4 | -30.177 | -53.680 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.4 | -30.124 | -53.402 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.4 | -30.107 | -51.647 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.4 | -29.795 | -53.132 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.3 | -30.175 | -53.136 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2015 | 1.3 | -28.614 | -53.402 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.3 | -30.009 | -53.664 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.3 | -30.166 | -53.461 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.3 | -30.181 | -52.226 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.3 | -30.254 | -52.863 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.2 | -30.145 | -53.528 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2003 | 1.2 | -28.758 | -53.582 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.2 | -30.179 | -52.875 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.2 | -30.171 | -53.446 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 1.2 | -30.172 | -53.532 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.1 | -29.827 | -53.866 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.1 | -30.141 | -53.459 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.1 | -30.121 | -52.603 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.1 | -29.956 | -52.794 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.1 | -29.849 | -52.233 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.1 | -30.074 | -54.145 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 2012 | 1.1 | -28.865 | -53.674 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1998 | 1.1 | -30.394 | -54.248 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | -30.166 | -53.482 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1999 | 1.0 | -30.037 | -53.380 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 1.0 | -29.841 | -53.602 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | -30.127 | -53.090 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | -30.157 | -53.428 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1.0 | -29.768 | -52.734 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 0.9 | -29.866 | -52.691 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 0.8 | -30.125 | -53.639 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built before 1985 | 0.8 | -30.168 | -53.519 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 0.8 | -30.120 | -53.634 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 0.8 | -30.146 | -53.407 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 0.7 | -30.167 | -53.502 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 0.7 | -29.727 | -53.901 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 0.7 | -30.257 | -53.249 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | Built 1986 | 0.6 | -30.056 | -53.631 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 0.6 | -29.780 | -53.088 | – | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 0.4 | -30.165 | -53.495 | – |
Dams serve many useful purposes including electric generation, water supply, irrigation, flood control, and recreation. However, if not carefully planned and managed, dams can have a heavy environmental impact. Today, many governments are removing dams to bring rivers back to life.
For a detailed look at the impact of dams on people and the environment, I encourage you to read the book Silenced Rivers by Patrick McCully. To help conserve free-flowing rivers, consider supporting the nonprofit International Rivers.
Data on dams comes from the Global Dam Watch database, published in July 2024. For more details, see the journal article by lead researchers at McGill University (Lehner et al. 2024).
The longest river is the watershed is 769 km long. It is shown highlighted in the map in Figure 5 below.
This is the longest continuous flowline in the source dataset, MERIT-Basins. It is not necessarily the mainstem of the river, or the one with the same name. When it comes to naming rivers, historical, legal, and cultural influences are also important.
Figure 6 shows the elevation profile of the longest river reach. Elevations on the plot are in meters above mean sea level. The river begins at 642 m, and the outlet is at 0 m.
Elevation data for the profile plot is from MERIT-DEM (Yamazaki et al. 2017). Actual distances on the plot may be underestimated somewhat. This is because river paths are based on a grid or raster data, which simplifies the meandering path of real-world rivers.
Terrain elevations in the watershed range from 0 m to 1,200 m above sea level. The average, or mean, elevation is 370 m. Figure 7 shows a distribution of terrain elevations in the watershed.
Elevation data is provided by EarthEnv (Amatulli et al. 2021), and is based on the Global Multi-resolution Terrain Elevation Data 2010 dataset (GMTED2010). Statistics are based on gridded elevation data with pixels that are about 1 km on a side. Because of the size of the pixels, some smoothing takes place, and so the statistics reported above may not capture the true minimum and maximum elevation.
The watershed is home to 73 threatened freshwater species. Table 5 shows the species that are endangered, vulnerable, or near-threatened, based on assessments by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN. Data comes from the IUCN Red List.
For a photo of the species, hover the mouse over Scientific Name in the table, or tap on mobile. Click the link under Status to view the IUCN assessment. Here you can find out more about the reasons the species decline, view maps of the species distribution, and read about any conservation measures being taken.
Table 5. Threatened species in the watershed.
| Type | Scientific Name | Common Name | Status | Presence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| amphibians | Melanophryniscus cambaraensis | Brazilian Redbelly Toad | Critically Endangered ⧉ | Possibly Extinct |
| fish | Pristis pristis | Largetooth Sawfish | Critically Endangered ⧉ | Presence Uncertain |
| fish | Garcialebias bagual | Unknown | Critically Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| amphibians | Cycloramphus valae | Gruta Button Frog | Critically Endangered ⧉ | Possibly Extinct |
| amphibians | Melanophryniscus admirabilis | Admirable-Redbelly-toad | Critically Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Mergus octosetaceus | Brazilian Merganser | Critically Endangered ⧉ | Possibly Extinct |
| birds | Xanthopsar flavus | Saffron-cowled Blackbird | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Matilebias camaquensis | Unknown | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Matilebias ibicuiensis | Peixe-anual | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Diapoma pyrrhopteryx | Lambari | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Odontesthes bicudo | Peixe-rei-bicudo | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Jenynsia sanctaecatarinae | Unknown | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Steindachneridion punctatum | Unknown | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Cambeva tropeiro | Cambeva | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Matilebias cyaneus | Peixe-anual | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| amphibians | Elachistocleis erythrogaster | Red-bellied cricket frog | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Garcialebias adloffi | Peixe-anual | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Steindachneridion scriptum | Bocudo | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Pipile jacutinga | Black-fronted Piping-guan | Endangered ⧉ | Possibly Extinct |
| amphibians | Melanophryniscus macrogranulosus | Torres Redbelly Toad | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Bryconamericus lambari | Lambari | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Lupinoblennius paivai | Paiva’s Blenny | Endangered ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Amatolebias varzeae | Peixe-anual | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| mammals | Blastocerus dichotomus | Marsh Deer | Vulnerable ⧉ | Possibly Extinct |
| birds | Limosa haemastica | Hudsonian Godwit | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Sporophila cinnamomea | Chestnut Seedeater | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Cynopoecilus intimus | Peixe-anual | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Matilebias litzi | Peixe-anual | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| mammals | Tapirus terrestris | Lowland Tapir | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extinct |
| birds | Pluvialis squatarola | Grey Plover | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Calidris fuscicollis | White-rumped Sandpiper | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Gymnotus refugio | Unknown | Vulnerable ⧉ | Possibly Extant |
| fish | Crenicichla hadrostigma | Joana | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| reptiles | Phrynops williamsi | Williams’ Side-necked Turtle | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Carcharhinus leucas | Bull Shark | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Matilebias paucisquama | Peixe-anual | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Cynopoecilus notabilis | Unknown | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Crenicichla empheres | Joana | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Xolmis dominicanus | Black-and-white Monjita | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Hollandichthys taramandahy | Lambari-listrado | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Tringa flavipes | Lesser Yellowlegs | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Scytalopus iraiensis | Marsh Tapaculo | Vulnerable ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Sporophila melanogaster | Black-bellied Seedeater | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Crenicichla jurubi | Joaninha | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Odontesthes piquava | Peixe-rei | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Gymnotus chimarrao | Carapo | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Cynopoecilus fulgens | Peixe-anual | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| mammals | Lontra longicaudis | Neotropical Otter | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Lepthoplosternum tordilho | Laguunihaarniskamonni | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Limnoctites rectirostris | Straight-billed Reedhaunter | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Calidris pusilla | Semipalmated Sandpiper | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Scleronema operculatum | Unknown | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Pareiorhaphis cameroni | Unknown | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Astyanax cremnobates | Lambari-de-cabeceira | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Arenaria interpres | Ruddy Turnstone | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Cynopoecilus nigrovittatus | Peixe-anual | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Laterallus spilopterus | Dot-winged Crake | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Calidris himantopus | Stilt Sandpiper | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Nycticryphes semicollaris | South American Painted-snipe | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Astyanax brachypterygium | Lambari-de-cabeceira | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Hisonotus megaloplax | Cascudinho | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Mimagoniates rheocharis | Lambari-azul | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Zungaro jahu | Manguruyu | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Pseudoplatystoma corruscans | Spotted Sorubim | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Cambeva perkos | Unknown | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Gymnogeophagus lacustris | Face | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Diapoma thauma | Lambari | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| fish | Diapoma tipiaia | Unknown | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Sporophila ruficollis | Dark-throated Seedeater | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Tringa melanoleuca | Greater Yellowlegs | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Calidris canutus | Red Knot | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| birds | Phoenicopterus chilensis | Chilean Flamingo | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
| crayfish | Parastacus brasiliensis | Unknown | Near Threatened ⧉ | Extant |
The presence of endangered species in a watershed provides important information about ecosystem health and biodiversity. Many factors can threaten endangered species within watersheds:
Water management plays an important role in protecting endangered species. This includes maintaining adequate streamflows, protecting riparian zones and wetlands, controlling pollution sources, and preserving habitat connectivity throughout the watershed.
If you're concerned about endangered species in your watershed, there are many ways you can help. Support organizations working on species conservation and habitat protection, or local watershed councils and land trusts in your area. Many watersheds have dedicated conservation groups focused on protecting local rivers, wetlands, and wildlife. Search for [your watershed name] + "conservation," "river keeper," or "watershed association."
You can also take direct action in your community. Participate in river cleanups, plant native vegetation along stream banks, reduce pesticide and fertilizer use, and support land use policies that protect riparian corridors and wetlands.
If you own property near streams or wetlands, consider conservation easements through organizations like the Land Trust Alliance.
Report wildlife sightings to citizen science platforms like iNaturalist or eBird. Your observations can contribute to scientific understanding and conservation planning. Finally, use your voice: contact local officials to support clean water regulations, habitat protection, and sustainable development practices that consider watershed health and wildlife needs.
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