São Francisco River

The "Velho Chico" (Old Chico), as it is known, rises in the Serra da Canastra National Park and flows towards the north-east of the country, forming a strategic and fundamental water resource for regional development. The main river irrigating the state, the São Francisco extends for 3,160 kilometres, with a catchment of 631,133 km2, that passes through the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Sergipe and Alagoas before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Two hundred kilometres from its mouth, in the state of Bahia, are the Paulo Afonso falls with a drop of 80 metres and formed by several waterfalls. Along its length, and still in Minas Gerais, the hydroelectric plants of Furnas and Três Marias were constructed to supply electricity to a large part of the south-eastern region of the country.

The São Francisco Waterway

Between the highlands of Serra da Canastra, its source in the State of Minas Gerais, and its estuary, on the boundary between the States of Sergipe and Alagoas, "Velho Chico" (Old Chico), as the main river , wholly included in Brazilian territory, is known - is the main water supplier of the semi-arid region of the Northeast. Its main navigable tract of 1,300-km flows between the town of Pirapora, in Minas Gerais and Juazeiro, in Bahia. Along its course are the following hydroelectric power stations: that of Paulo Afonso and Sobradinho, in Bahia; Moxotó, in Alagoas; and Três Marias, in Minas Gerais. The main projects currently under way along its course aim at improving navigability and allowing navigation at night.