Tres Marias

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Três Marias is a small city in northwestern Minas Gerais state, Brazil, with geographical coordinates of 45º 15' 50" West and 18º15'12" South. It is located at the north end of one of the largest reservoirs in Brazil--the Represa Três Marias and is close to the dam which controls water entering the São Francisco river. Population: 23.539 (IBGE/Census 2000) Estimated Population: 27 thousand inhabitants. The area of the municipality is 2,763 km². The altitude varies between 504 and 975 meters. The economy is based on agriculture, cattle raising, tourism, fishing, light industry and the informal economy.

Climate: hot and dry. annual average: 22,5º; average annual maximum: 28,8º; average annual minimum: 16,5º; average annual rainfall: 1442 mm

Highways of Access: MG-220 BR-040 BR-259

The distance from the state capital of Belo Horizonte is 276 km and 438 km from Brasília, the national capital.

[edit] Origin of the Name

Why Três Marias?

The versions are many. There are those who affirm, based on astronomy, that it is because of the tree stars belonging to the constellation of Orion, and that are permanently visible in this region.

Others mention the geographic point of the waterfalls, numbering three, that existed at the place where the reservoir would be built.

But the popular version refers to three sisters who lived on the right bank of the river. This version talks of a couple who lived on the bank of the river who had triplets, a rare case even today. At that time it was the subject of great commentary, with its fame spreading throughout the region. They were three beautiful girls all called Maria. Unfortunately, for this version there is no document in any registrar to prove its veracity. But the waterfall where the couple lived with their three daughters began to be called the Waterfall of the Three Marias, which disappeared after the building of the dam. The legend adds that the three Marias died by drowning in the river. This is the most accepted version for the origin of the name given to the lake and the dam, although the official name of the hydroelectric station is "Bernardo Mascarenhas".

[edit] The Lake and Dam of Tres Marias

The lake of Tres Marias began with the damming of the São Francisco river, formed by the construction of one of the largest earth dams in the world. The objectives were to control the flow of water of the river in the periodical floods and improve navegability; the use of hydroelectric power and the development of industry and irrigation. Begun in 1957, this great project was finished in January 1961, almost a world record in this type of construction.

The dam is 2,700 meters long with a base of 600 and a height of 75 meters. Its plant produces 396,000 KW of power. The lake, called Fresh Sea of Minas, has 21 billion square meters of water, 1,040 square kilometers of surface (8.7 times greater than Guanabara Bay), and bathes 8 municipalities.

The speed of construction was due to the commitment of President Juscelino Kibitschek who also completed the bridge over the São Francisco river, the BR 040 highway, and the new federal capital. The construction of the dam was carried out in two shifts, using approximately 10,000 workers.