Where Does the Parana River Start?

The Parana River, or Rio Parana in Spanish and Portuguese, starts in central South America and runs through the countries of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil.

It is approximately 3030 miles long. Out of all the South American rivers, it is second in length to the Amazon River.
It is the 14th longest river in the world.
Its name is an abbreviation for the phrase “para rehe onáva" which means “like the sea.” The phrase is from the Tupi language and refers to the size of the river.

Journey of the Parana River

Those curious about where the Parana River starts may also wish to know about the course the river takes.

During its course, it merges with the Iguaza River, the Paraguay River and later with the Uruguay River and forms the Rio de la Plata before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. So the Parana River starts where the Grande and Paranaiba Rivers converge and finishes at the Atlantic Ocean. At the end of its trip, it makes the Parana River Delta, which is 320 km long and between 18 and 60 km wide.

Here is its total journey.

From its start, the Parana River flows southwesterly to the city of Saltos del Guaira, Paraguay.
Then it goes south and forms the boundary between Paraguay and Brazil and then merges with the Iguaza River.
After that it becomes the border between Paraguay and Argentina and flows past the towns of Encarnacion Paraguay and Posadas, Argentina.
It continues on its southward course, then turns west and merges with the Paraguay River.
Next it turns south, turns back to the east, and flows past the town of Rosario.
It then merges with the Uruguay River and continues to the Atlantic Ocean.

Dams on the Parana River

Itaipu Dam

Upstream from the confluence of the Parana River and the Iguazu River, the Itaipu Dam was built and began operating in 1984.

It is the second largest hydroelectric power station in the world next to the Three Gorges Dam in the People’s Republic of China.
When it was built, it created a massive but shallow reservoir.
One consequence of the dam was the destruction of Guaira Falls, which was the largest waterfall by volume in the world. Also, 10,000 families were displaced by the construction.

Yacireta Dam

A second dam and hydroelectric station was built upstream from the confluence of the Parana River and the Paraguay River. It began operations in 1994 and is called the Yacireta Dam, which was a joint project between Paraguay and Argentina.

The reservoir it created has caused a number of problems, especially with the town of Encarnacion, which experienced large-scale flooding.
It displaced 40,000 people and effected the environment in three ways.
The flooding changed habitats permanently and the calmer water is a breeding ground for waterborne diseases, like Dengue Fever and Malaria.
Thousands of cattle were lost in the initial flood and it ruined agricultural lands.
Many protected species were adversely affected, like capybara, deer, pampas, herons, and bogies.

Conservation Efforts of Parana River System

This system covers almost one million square miles. It is home to many animals including:

Jaguar
Maned wolf
Tapir
Brown howler monkey
Giant river otter
Giant anteater
Hyacinth macaw
Jabiru stork

The habitat is flooded grasslands and savannahs, shrublands and montane grasslands, and tropical dry broadleaf forests.

The rivers used to offer a supply of fresh clean water; but, that is no longer the case. Threats include pollution, silting, deforestation, and sedimentation. Deforestation has eliminated the natural buffer that used to filter the sediment on its way to the rivers. Therefore, the rivers are murky and cloudy. Efforts are underway to reforest areas along the river to prevent this excess of sediment.