Paulo Afonso Falls

Paulo Afonso Falls (Portuguese: Cachoeira de Paulo Afonso) is a series of waterfalls on the São Francisco River in the north-east of Brazil adjacent to the city of Paulo Afonso.[1]

Paulo Afonso Falls
Paulo Afonso Falls during a water release from the Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex
LocationAlagoas and Bahia
Brazil
Coordinates9°23′21″S 38°11′45″W
TypeTiered
Total height84 metres (276 ft)[1]
Number of drops3
Longest drop59 metres (194 ft)[1]
Average width18 metres (59 ft)[1]
WatercourseSão Francisco River
Average
flow rate		2,832 m3/s (100,000 cu ft/s) (historical) [1]

Structure

The falls consist of a series of tiered cascades that descend approximately 24.4 metres (80 ft) before plunging 79.3 metres (260 ft) into a narrow gorge. The falls have an overall height of 84 metres (276 ft).[1]

Prior to damming, the falls had an estimated flow rate of 2,832 m3/s (100,000 cu ft/s) and a maximum flow rate of at least 14,158 m3/s (500,000 cu ft/s). This would've made the falls the largest in Brazil and among the largest in the world.[1][2]

History

The waterfall has been known to the indigenous population of the São Francisco River basin since time immemorial and to Portuguese colonizers since the 16th century.

Damming

In 1912, the São Francisco River was dammed by the Hidrelétrica de Angiquinho upstream of the falls. The hydroelectric dam the first hydroelectric power station in northeastern Brazil.[3]

In the early 1940s, the Brazilian government sponsored the expansion of the Hidrelétrica de Angiquinho to provide much of the semi-arid interior with a reliable source of electricity.[4] Construction of the Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex began in 1948, which greatly reduced the volume of water flowing over the falls. Since the completion of the hydroelectric complex, the falls have acted as a natural spillway during high rainfall years.[5][6]

  • Painting of Paulo Afonso Falls by E. F. Schute, 1850
    Painting of Paulo Afonso Falls by E. F. Schute, 1850
  • Paulo Afonso Falls, 1875
    Paulo Afonso Falls, 1875
  • Paulo Afonso Falls, 2018
    Paulo Afonso Falls, 2018

See also

References
  1. "Paulo Afonso, Cachoeira de, Brazil - World Waterfall Database". www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  2. "Encyclopædia Britannica- Paulo Afonso Falls". Retrieved 2009-02-15.
  3. "Paulo Afonso, Bahia (Brazil)". Retrieved 2009-02-15.
  4. "Entremontes and Piranhas- Rio São Francisco". Archived from the original on 2001-04-18. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
  5. Wikipédia (Portuguese): Complexo Hidrelétrico de Paulo Afonso
  6. Usina Hidrelétrica de Xingó - Piranhas/AL
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