The Araguaia River, over 2,100 km in length, runs in a northerly direction from its source in the Serra do Caiapó, GO, to its meeting with the Tocantins River, in São Jõao do Araguaia, PA. It forms the state boundary initially between Goiás and Mato Grosso, and subsequently between Tocantins and Pará. Essentially a young river, it has not yet carved a deep riverbed, but cruises slowly across the landscape, spilling over its bank in the wet season and leaving vast sandbanks exposed during the dry.  Its sandy bottom means that these sandbanks shift annually with the high water, and so far has helped to preserve the river from speculative projects such as dams. For this reason, it is still a jewel, where nature blossoms and people flock to its banks during the dry season.

However, a new threat hangs over the long term future of the river: plans have been resucitated to blast through the few existing rock barriers which form rapids on the lower Araguaia, in order to turn the river into a busy fluvial highway to transport the grain harvest in barges from Mato Grosso to the north. In the dry season (when the harvest is ready), even small boats have trouble travelling on the river. Dredging deep canals in the riverbed will have a catastrophic effect on the whole ecology of the river and the people who depend on it for their livelihood. To maintain just one great water course as a living river would do a favour to future generations, but it seems that not one thing is sacred anymore...


Margi Moss is a photographer. Along with her husband, Gérard Moss, she runs the project Brasil das Águas, which have reported the water quality of the main rivers in Brazil.