Western Amazon Rivers: Jaci-Paraná & Rondônia Wilderness
The rivers of Rondônia state — the Jaci-Paraná, Jamari, and Guaporé — drain the western Amazon and support extraordinary biodiversity in a region heavily deforested but with surviving protected areas of great value
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Jaci-Paraná River Beauty
The Jaci-Paraná — one of Madeira's southern tributaries — has clear water (for an Amazon river) and beaches during the dry season; beach camping and river swimming attract Porto Velho weekends
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Samuel Dam and Reservoir
The Samuel Hydroelectric Dam created a large reservoir in the Jamari Forest National Reserve - the flooded forest creates a complex ecosystem of dead trunks above the water that is haunted and biologically significant
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Jamari National Forest
The Jamari National Forest – partially flooded by the Samuel Reservoir – is one of the few large protected areas in Rondônia; it preserves intact the western Amazon forest with extraordinary biodiversity
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Guaporé River Border
The Guaporé River forms the border between Brazil and Bolivia — the pristine parts of the river in the far south of Rondônia are exceptionally biodiverse; The Guaporé Biological Reserve protects a significant part of the
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River Turtle Conservation
The Rondônia rivers are important nesting areas for giant river turtles (tartaruga-da-amazônia) — the beach nesting season (September-October) when thousands of turtles nest on Madeira's sandbars is spectacular
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Native areas of Rondônia
Despite heavy deforestation, Rondônia has several indigenous territories — Uru-eu-wau-wau, Pacaás Novos and others retain forest cover within their protected territories in a state that lost 30% of its forest