Anyone passing by Avenida Nove de Julho might not imagine that one of São Paulo’s many rivers runs underneath the asphalt. That’s because the São Paulo capital has at least 280 watercourses hidden beneath the surface.
To put it in practical terms, no one is more than 300 meters away from a watercourse, can you imagine? It may seem impossible, but until a few decades ago, rivers flowed freely through the city. However, with urban development, the streams and rivers became lost in the gray. Today, the city has more than 3,600 km of closed galleries.
But what are São Paulo’s main rivers?
Tietê River
With a length of 1,136 km and an average depth of seven meters, the Tietê River rises in Salesópolis and flows into the Paraná River. Until the 1940s, it was used to refresh bathers and host nautical competitions. Over time, unfortunately, it turned into an open sewer.
Tamanduateí River
With its source in Mauá, the Tamanduateí cuts through São Paulo, Santo André and São Caetano do Sul. Bordered by Avenida do Estado, it is 35 km long. Its size, however, used to be even greater: a large part of the river (including the part next to Rua 25 de Março) ended up landfilled due to urbanization.
Pinheiros River
One of the city’s main rivers, the Pinheiros got its name from the Jesuits because of the large concentration of Brazilian pine trees in the area. It is 25 km long and runs alongside the famous Marginal Pinheiros. Although it was also quite dirty, it is currently undergoing an intense clean-up process.
Aricanduva River
A tributary of the Tietê, the Aricanduva river rises at Cruzeiro peak, the second highest point in the capital, in the far east of São Paulo. In rainy seasons, it often causes flooding in the neighborhoods through which it flows.
Is it possible to change?
As we have seen, two of São Paulo’s main rivers are the Tietê and the Pinheiros. However, despite their fame, they are considered to be sick (or almost dead) rivers due to the level of degradation caused by the sewage and garbage that is dumped into them.
It’s hard to imagine that São Paulo hides so much water, but floods constantly put us in front of this problem. Would our relationship with streams and rivers change if they were cleaned up?
The truth is that there are examples within the capital itself and, even if it seems impossible, the truth is that it’s not. For decades, the Pirarungáua Stream, located in Jardim Botânico, was channelized. Today, the tributary of the Riacho Ipiranga flows through the site and has become an attraction in the park.
In addition, the Pinheiros River is currently undergoing a depollution process that is changing the climate of hope around the subject. The Bruno Covas Linear Park, on the banks of the Marginal, is proof that it is possible to give a new lease of life to the rivers that cut through the city and which for so many decades have failed to receive the attention of São Paulo residents.