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The river Paranapanema has a total extension of 929Km in a difference
of 570m, being developed in the sense general east-west and development in the river
Paraná in an altitude of 239m approximately.
The nascent of the river Paranapanema is located in the Big Sharp mountain, in the
Southeast of the state of São Paulo, the approximately 100Km of the Atlantic coast, in a
latitude of 24°51 ' south and longitude 48°10 ' west, about 900m above the level of the
sea.
The river Paranapanema, of the nascent ones to the mouth of the river Itararé, runs in
territory from São Paulo; the jusante of this point makes border among the states of
Paraná and of São Paulo.
The total medium declivity of the river Paranapanema, from its nascent to the outlet in
the river Paraná is of 61cm/Km. Not considering the first ones 100Km, where the river
goes down the mountain of Paranapiacaba, the medium declividade it is of 43cm/Km, value
relatively low for a such extensive course of 820Km.
The river Paranapanema is devided in three main spaces:
Low Paranapanema
Of the mouth, in the river Paraná, even Big Jump, with 421Km of extension. It presents a
medium declivity of 29cm/Km, superior widths for 200m in the deepest spaces and in the
shallow spaces, widths that get to reach 800m. The curvature rays are of the order of 1
000 m. The course is very not very sinuous, presenting a total horizontal balance, with
exception, only, of the space in the proximities of the mouth in Paraná, where it is
noticed the existence of banks of sand pieces of furniture and islands.
Medium Paranapanema
Of Big jump to the fork of the river Apiaí-Guaçu, with 328 Km of extension.
It presents a total difference of 210m. One cannot speak in medium declivity for this
space, once, with the construction of several dams for ends of hidroelectric use, this
difference is, in its largest part, concentrate.
High Paranapanema
Of the fork of the river Apiaí-Guaçu, until the nascent ones, in the mountain of Sharp
Big, with a total extension of 180Km. It presents a quite elevated medium declivity of
150cm/Km. Dreined a series of small rivers that get off the mountain of Paranapiacaba,
High Paranapanema gains load and consolidates when receiving the rivers Itapetininga and
Apiaí-Guaçu.
The sailing of the river Paranapanema is practiced basically in the bass course until the
port Euclides of Cunha, jusante of the rapids of the Friar's Crown, in an extension of
about 70Km, counted starting from the mouth of the river Paraná. That sailing is made in
quite precarious character. In natural conditions, the minimum depth in this space, in dry
periods, is of about 1,50m.
In the last ones 421Km of jusante, course between the mouth and the dam of Salto Grande,
the medium declivity is 29cm/Km, favorable.
The main natural accidents that interrupt or harm the sailing are: basaltic support ,
rocks , speed of current reduced, little depth, narrow channel in the middle of the river,
speed of the high current; sinuous channel, banks of sand and spaces with strong
declivity.
The great reservations of water accumulated in the superior dam have a considerable
influence in the regime of the river, in its medium course; in the inferior course this
influence is more reduced, not influencing in the whole way in the natural conditions that
totally impede the sailing
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