Running Whitewater in Brazil Before It's Gone

Yesterday, we hit the river for one more round of whitewater — taking on the rapids of Cachoeira de Teotônio (Teotônio Waterfall).

The falls are on the Rio Madeira — the longest and the second largest tributary of the Amazon. The river gets its name “River of Wood” from the massive number of uprooted trees that float down its rough waters. And it definitely stood up to its namesake yesterday — we saw some huge logs coming down!

Teotônio is a iconic rapid in the Amazon Basin and is renowned fishing site for local communities that rely on fish for food and their economy. But our run of its rapids was one of the last. By 2012, construction will be finished on a dam below the rapid that will submerge Teotônio.

Not only will the dam turn whitewater into reservoir, but the construction will block passage for native catfish. Ultimately, the fish in this now-productive ecosystem will go extinct — hurting fishing communities and changing a way of life.

Photo © Adam Mills Elliot