The work, needed to drain the rainwater accumulated in the Juparana lagoon in Linhares, was completed this Friday, April 6
This Friday, April 6, the Renova Foundation finished opening up the canal that connects the Pequeno River to the Doce River. The work was necessary to drain the rainwater accumulated in the Juparana lagoon in Linhares, in the north of Espirito Santo, that caused the rise of its stage level and flooding of its surroundings.
Canal opening that connects the Pequeno River with the Doce River completed.
The level of the Pequeno River and the Juparana Lagoon should normalize within a period of 30 to 45 days. It was a controlled process, without causing impacts to the surroundings. “The opening was done gradually, in a controlled and 100% safe way,” said the Territory Manager of the Renova Foundation, Sergio Kuroda.
The opening occurred between 9:00 am and 11:00 am. Between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm, as a safety measure, the 41 families living downstream from the dam were kept out of their houses. “The retreat of the residents went smoothly. When the first siren rang, indicating the start of the process, many of them were already set to go,” Kuroda said. The evacuation of the residents living near the site was a preventive measure and had as objective guaranteeing the security of all the families involved in the action.
Traffic on the bridge of the Pequeno River operated according “Stop and Go” from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, as authorized by the Department of Roads (DER) and monitored by the Military Police.
Understand the work
The barrier in the Pequeno River in Linhares was built to prevent any contact between the Doce River and the Juparana lagoon during the flow of tailings from the Fundao dam, in compliance with a judicial decision.
The canal is 80 meters long and 8 meters wide. The work involved about 30 Renova Foundation professionals, from the operational, engineering and dialogue teams. The initial flow is 1,200 liters per second.
After the gradual opening of the canal, the normal flow of the water will be from the Pequeno River to the Doce River. If the Doce River floods, the canal will be closed to prevent the waters of the Doce River from reaching the Pequeno River. For the monitoring of stage levels, the Foundation will be conducting daily level measurements (Pequeno River, Doce River and edge of the coffer).