The canal will be opened this Friday, April 6, and is scheduled to take place between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm
With the objective of draining the rainwater accumulated in the Juparana lagoon, that caused the elevated water level of the lagoon and of its surroundings, the Renova Foundation will continue the work begun on March 15, opening a canal from the Pequeno River to the Doce River along the shoulder (lateral) of the barrier. The canal will allow the regularization of the level of the Pequeno River and the lagoon within 30 to 45 days. The opening will occur in a controlled, paced and synchronized manner, under the monitoring and systematic inspection of Renova Foundation technicians.
The Pequeno River barrier in Linhares was built to prevent any contact between the Doce River and the Juparana lagoon during the mudslide in 2015 | Photo: Nitro Images
The work will take place this Friday, April 6. It is scheduled to start at 9:00 am. As a safety measure, the Renova Foundation will keep all 41 families living near the barrier outside their homes, between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm.
The Renova Foundation is deploying the action with emergency and the evacuation of the residents living around the site is a preventive measure, which aims to ensure the safety of all families involved. Between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm, people can stay at addresses defined with them and with Civil Defense.
The Pequeno River bridge in Linhares, along the ES 248- Km108, which provides access to the towns of Colatina and Rio Bananal (passing through Soretama), is open to traffic in a “Stop-and-Go” scheme from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, with authorization of the Department of Roads (DER) and monitoring of the Military Police.
Understand the work
About 30 professionals from the Renova Foundation are involved in the opening of the canal between the Pequeno River and the Doce River, divided into operational, engineering and topography teams, with the engineering project and the execution of the work complying with all technical steps of the relevant bodies, within the requirements of safety, environment and human rights.
The canal will be 80 meters long and 8 meters wide. Opening and flow control will be done using the coffer (a temporary containment), feeding the canal with a constant water flow. After the gradual opening of the canal, the normal flow of the water will go from the Pequeno River to the Doce River. If there is flooding in the Doce River, the canal will be closed preventing its waters from reaching the Pequeno River. To monitor the water levels, the Renova Foundation will daily conduct measurements (Pequeno River, Doce River and edge of the coffer).
After completion of the initial phase of opening the flow, an assessment will be carried out in the residences and the area around the bridge on the right riverbank.
Judicial Decision
The Pequeno River barrier in Linhares was built to prevent any contact between the Doce River and the Juparana lagoon during the mudslide, in compliance with a judicial decision. However, this barrier interrupted the outflow of the Juparana lagoon, and this year’s rains caused an elevated level and flooding of its surroundings. The opening of the canal aims to reduce the impacts of the flooding.