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The Tapajós ( pt, Rio Tapajós ) is a river in
Tapajos – Juruena
'. Freshwater Ecoregions of the World. Retrieved 16 February 2013. From the lower Arinos River (a tributary of Juruena) to the Maranhão Grande falls are a more or less continuous series of formidable cataracts and rapids; but from the Maranhão Grande to the mouth of Tapajós, about , the river can be navigated by large vessels. For its last it is between wide and much of it very deep. The valley of the Tapajós is bordered on both sides by bluffs. They are from high along the lower river; but a few miles above Santarém, they retire from the eastern side and do not approach the Amazon floodplain until some miles below Santarém.
The Tapajós is one of three major clearwater rivers in the Amazon Basin (the others are Xingu and Tocantins; the latter arguably outside the Amazon).Duncan, W.P.; and Fernandes, M.N. (2010). ''Physicochemical characterization of the white, black, and clearwater rivers of the Amazon Basin and its implications on the distribution of freshwater stingrays (Chondrichthyes, Potamotrygonidae).'' PanamJAS 5(3): 454-464.Giovanetti, T.A.; and Vriends, M.M. (1991). ''Discus Fish'', p. 15. Barron's Educational Serie. Clearwater rivers share the low conductivity and relatively low levels of dissolved solids with
Tapajós River Basin
'' Retrieved 16 February 2013. Many of these have only been discovered within the last decade, and a conservative estimate suggests more than 500 fish species eventually will be recognized in the river basin.
The fish, along with many other endemic species of flora and fauna are threatened by the Tapajós hydroelectric complex dams that are planned on the river. The largest of those projects is the São Luiz do Tapajós Dam, whose environmental licensing process has been suspended – not yet cancelled – by IBAMA due to its expected impacts on indigenous and river communities.
It would flood a part of the area of the Sawré Muybu Indigenous Territory.
Another is the planned 2,338 MW Jatobá Hydroelectric Power Plant.
A third dam, the controversial Chacorão Dam, would flood a large area of the Munduruku Indigenous Territory.
The dams are part of a plan to convert the Tapajos into a waterway for barges to take soybeans from
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. It runs through the Amazon Rainforest and is a major tributary of the Amazon River. When combined with the Juruena River, the Tapajós is approximately long. It is one of the largest clearwater rivers, accounting for about 6% of the water in the Amazon basin
The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Boli ...
.
Course
For most of its length the Tapajós runs through Pará State, but the upper (southern) part forms the border between Pará and Amazonas State. The source is at the Juruena– Teles Pires river junction. The Tapajós River basin accounts for 6% of the water in theAmazon Basin
The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Boli ...
, making it the fifth largest in the system.Hales, J., and P. Petry (2013). Tapajos – Juruena
'. Freshwater Ecoregions of the World. Retrieved 16 February 2013. From the lower Arinos River (a tributary of Juruena) to the Maranhão Grande falls are a more or less continuous series of formidable cataracts and rapids; but from the Maranhão Grande to the mouth of Tapajós, about , the river can be navigated by large vessels. For its last it is between wide and much of it very deep. The valley of the Tapajós is bordered on both sides by bluffs. They are from high along the lower river; but a few miles above Santarém, they retire from the eastern side and do not approach the Amazon floodplain until some miles below Santarém.
Geography
The eastern border of Amazônia National Park is formed by the Tapajós River. From Itaituba and southwest a part of the Trans-Amazonian Highway (BR-230) follows the river, while a part of BR-163 runs parallel to the river from Santarém and south. The South American pole of inaccessibility is located close to the sources of Tapajós's tributaries, near Utiariti. The Tapajós is named after the Tapajós people, an extinct group ofindigenous people
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
from Santarém.
Ecology
The Tapajós is one of three major clearwater rivers in the Amazon Basin (the others are Xingu and Tocantins; the latter arguably outside the Amazon).Duncan, W.P.; and Fernandes, M.N. (2010). ''Physicochemical characterization of the white, black, and clearwater rivers of the Amazon Basin and its implications on the distribution of freshwater stingrays (Chondrichthyes, Potamotrygonidae).'' PanamJAS 5(3): 454-464.Giovanetti, T.A.; and Vriends, M.M. (1991). ''Discus Fish'', p. 15. Barron's Educational Serie. Clearwater rivers share the low conductivity and relatively low levels of dissolved solids with blackwater river
A blackwater river is a type of river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. As vegetation decays, tannins leach into the water, making a transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling black tea. ...
s, but differ from these in having water that at most only is somewhat acidic (typical pH ~6.5) and very clear with a greenish colour. Although most of the tributaries in the Tapajós basin also are clearwater, there are exceptions, including the blackwater Braço Norte River (southeastern Serra do Cachimbo region).Ohara, W.M.; Mirande, J.M.; & Lima, F.C.T.d. (2017). Phycocharax rasbora, a new genus and species of Brazilian tetra (Characiformes: Characidae) from Serra do Cachimbo, rio Tapajós basin. PLoS ONE 12(2): e0170648. About 325 fish species are known from the Tapajós River basin, including 65 endemics
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
.The Great Rivers Partnership: Tapajós River Basin
'' Retrieved 16 February 2013. Many of these have only been discovered within the last decade, and a conservative estimate suggests more than 500 fish species eventually will be recognized in the river basin.
Proposed dams
The fish, along with many other endemic species of flora and fauna are threatened by the Tapajós hydroelectric complex dams that are planned on the river. The largest of those projects is the São Luiz do Tapajós Dam, whose environmental licensing process has been suspended – not yet cancelled – by IBAMA due to its expected impacts on indigenous and river communities.
It would flood a part of the area of the Sawré Muybu Indigenous Territory.
Another is the planned 2,338 MW Jatobá Hydroelectric Power Plant.
A third dam, the controversial Chacorão Dam, would flood a large area of the Munduruku Indigenous Territory.
The dams are part of a plan to convert the Tapajos into a waterway for barges to take soybeans from Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso ( – lit. "Thick Bush") is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest by area, located in the Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible for 1.9% of the Brazilian GDP.
Neighborin ...
to the Amazon River ports.
A continuous chain of dams, with locks, would eliminate today's rapids and waterfalls.
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
has referred to this issue as the next battle over saving the Amazon as a result of its controversy involving Indigenous communities, the Brazilian government, large multinationals and international environmental organizations.
In popular culture
The river is the sixth title of the album '' Aguas da Amazonia''.References
Further reading
* Heinsdijk, Dammis, and Ricardo Lemos Fróes. ''Description of Forest-Types on "Terra Firme" between the Rio Tapajós and the Rio Xingú in the Amazon Valley''. 1956. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tapajos Tributaries of the Amazon River Rivers of Amazonas (Brazilian state) Rivers of Pará