Paraná River

The Paraná river is born of the fork of two important Brazilian rivers: the Grande (Big) and Paranaíba, approximately, at 20° of south latitude and 51° of longitude west. From its formation, in the fork of the mentioned rivers, it has superior width to 1 Km. Being considered together with the river Parnaíba, its natural prolongation, the river Paraná has an extension of 4 thousand Km. Leaving of the fork of the Big rivers and Paranaíba, the river Paraná runs in Brazilian territory with southeast general orientation for about 619 Km to reach the Waterfalls of Seven Falls (sunk by the barragem of Itaipu), from this point, goes south, starting to do border between Brazil and Paraguay in an extension of 190 Km to the mouth of the river Iguaçú, starting from where it becomes limit, between Argentina and Paraguay. In the proximities of the Apipé River, placed about 468 Km of the mouth of the river Iguaçú, the orientation of the river moves to west, direction that conserves until the fork of the river Paraguay. After receiving its main one flowing, it totally penetrates in Argentinean territory, where, with south general orientation, it travels more than 820 Km to a little below the city of Rosário. The total length of the river Paraná is of 2.739 Km of the which 1.240 km in Argentinean territory, 619 Km entirely in Brazilian territory and 880 Km as bordering between the Republic of Paraguay and Argentina or Brazil. \n \nOf the point of view of the sailing and taking into account the main characteristics of the space of the river Paraná in the Brazilian territory can mention the calm aspect of course of plain water: soft curves, bed very stable, big and numerous islands and banks of sand. It is crossed by some basaltic dashes, running even so the bed, in general, on sand and recent deposits. The margins are low, with little soft hills. The maximum variations of the level of water empty space of 3m in Guaíba for 11m in Jupiá, and on the average they reach, annually, 2 and 6m, respectively, in the mentioned places. Of the point of view of the sailing and taking into account the different characteristics, of the bed, it can divide the river Paraná in five spaces, of the which only the space of High Paraná - of Guaíra to the fork of the Grande River and Paranaiba, with 619 Km of extension in Brazilian territory. The main geographical limits of the basin of High Paraná are: to the north the basins of Tocantins/Araguaia and San Francisco; to east, massive Brazilian Litoranean (it Saws of the Sea), to the south of the basin of the river Iguaçu, flowing of Medium Paraná and to west the basin of the river Paraguay. The whole high Paraná presents similar morphologic characteristics: a plain river, with great width and numerous islands. Now, with the conclusion of the Itaipu the commercial sailing is possible in Paraná, of Jupiá to the mouth of Iguaçú in an extension of approximately 670 Km and in more precarious conditions even São Simão (through the river Paranaíba) and 'Agua Vermelha (through the Grande river). The Jupiá, located to 21 Km of the fork with the river Tietê, as well as the Single Island, doesn't have eclusas, what impedes the continuity of the sailing in this space of about 55 Km in the river Paraná. Pereira Barreto's channel, now and the use of the river São José of the Gildings, they provide a passage for the sailing, allowing like this the connection among I scheme it north and I scheme it south of the river Paraná. Practically there are not restrictions of the point of view of the depth for the traffic of embarkations with having silenced up to 2,5m between Jupiá and President Epitácio and embarkations with 3,5m quiet, they only can, in the current conditions, to reach Guaíra, for 30 days on the average a year (the quiet of 3,5m comes being for the project of the works of definitive character, in the river Paraná).