Paraibuna River
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The Paraibuna River is a river in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, and a major tributary of the Paraíba do Sul river. It flows through the important commercial and industrial city of Juiz de Fora.
The name of the river comes from the Caxinoá Indians who lived in this region and called the river Parayuna because of its dark waters caused by rocks in its bottom. This river has been witness to wars, transport of gold and diamonds and the industrialization of the region.
The Paraibuna has its source in the Serra da Mantiqueira at 1.200 m altitude and after flowing for 166 km joins the Paraíba do Sul at 250 meters altitude.
It flows in the direction of northeast to south-southeast, receiving small tributaries. The most important of these are the Preto, the Peixe, and the Cágado.
The Paraibuna crosses nine cities: Antônio Carlos, Santos Dumont, Ewbanck da Câmara, Matias Barbosa, Simão Pereira, Belmiro Braga, Santana do Deserto and Chiador and of course, Juiz de Fora, making up 70% of its extension.
The industrial magnate Bernardo Mascarenhas built the first Hydroelectric Plant in South America on the Paraibuna, inaugurated in 1889. The waters of the Marmelos waterfall transformed Juiz de Fora into the Manchester of Minas Gerais. This first hydroelectric plant was called Marmelos Zero and it produced 250 KW, enough to supply 1,080 people at the time. Eight years later Usina 1 was inaugurated with an energy potential 8 times greater. In 1915 came Usina 2, in 1935 Usina 3, and in 1950 Usina 4. Today 12.5% of the energetic needs of Juiz de Fora comes from these plants.
