Río de la Plata literally means “river of silver,” but looking at the river today you might think that the river would be more aptly named Río de Marrón (river of brown). The coasts of the Río de la Plata are the most densely populated areas of Argentina (Buenos Aires) and Uruguay (Montevideo). Due to pollution from these areas and the abundance of river sediment, the river is usually a brown color. Fortunately there are currently several efforts underway to restore the river and protect its unique wildlife.
History of Río de la Plata
The drainage basin of the Río de la Plata is the second largest in South America behind the Amazon. About one quarter of the continent’s land area—including parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina—drains into rivers that feed the Río de la Plata. Experts debate whether the lower part of Río de la Plata is an estuary or a river, but for those who do consider it a river, it is the widest in the world.2
The first documented exploration of the river was in 1513 by the Portuguese. Several Spanish and Portuguese explorers traveled up and down the river in search of a passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Between 1526 and 1529 explorer Sebastian Cabot made a detailed map of the area, traveling all the way up to the present day city of Asunción. He named the river Río de la Plata after trading with the Guaraní Indians along the river for silver trinkets.3
One major impediment to exploration and development along Río de la Plata is poor navigation, particularly in the upper part of the river. Due to the large amount of silt carried down the river (approximately 57,000,000 cubic meters of silt each year), it is difficult for large vessels to pass through. Today many ports and river passages are open only because of constant dredging.4
There is a reason why crops and livestock meat from South America are so good: the Río de la Plata basin provides excellent farmland. As settlements along the river continued to expand throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, conflicts over navigation and land rights rights became more and more common. Conflict in the region intensified after Brazil gained independence from the Portuguese and Argentina gained independence from Spain after the Spanish American wars of independence. For example, the Argentine Civil wars (1814 to 1880) were partially fought over resources, and boundary disputes and tariff issues led to the Paraguayan War (1864-1870) between Paraguay and the collective armies of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.5 In more recent history, conflicts about river access and rumored oil reserves led to the Chaco War (1932-1935) between Paraguay and Bolivia.6 Today things are somewhat calmer, although Uruguay and Argentina are currently quarreling about a dredging project. Uruguay wants Argentina to keep its promise to dredge the main river canal, but Argentina keeps delaying in hopes that they can gain an advantage in the rivalry between the Argentine port of Buenos Aires and the Uruguayan port of Nueva Palmira.7
Animal Life
Río de la Plata boasts a wealth of animal life, including a few very distinctive species. La Plata or Franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei) can be found along the river’s estuary as well as throughout the Atlantic coast. This is the only dolphin that inhabits both freshwater and saltwater estuaries, or the only river dolphin that does not exclusively inhabit freshwater ecosystems. La Plata dolphins also boast the longest beak (proportionately) out of all cetaceans.9 The species is listed as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the main threats against it being incidental capture in fishing gear as well as heavy coastal traffic and pollution from industrial development.10 In 2010 a baby La Plata dolphin was found and rescued on a beach near Montevideo, Uruguay suffering from injuries likely caused by a fishing net, which led to more widespread awareness of the species’ plight.11
Río de la Plata is also home to three different species of sea turtles: the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). These turtles also commonly fall victim to incidental fishing, and greens and loggerheads are endangered, while leatherbacks are critically endangered.12 Leatherbacks are distinctive for their long distance migratory movements, and there is one documented case of a leatherback making it all the way from Benin (NW Africa) to Uruguay!13
Pollution
Pollution from cities and agricultural areas have led some to label the Río de la Plata and its small tributaries Argentina’s “worst environmental stain.”14 It is common to see trash and sewage floating in the river. Even though the Supreme Court of Argentina called for an official plan to clean up the river basin in 2008, little has been done. For example, in 2008 there were 141 open trash dumps with industrial, chemical and household waste along the Matanza tributary, which runs from western Buenos Aires into the Rio de la Plata. According to the clean-up plan, the dumps were supposed to be closed by 2010, but instead 207 more had cropped up to bring the total number of dumps to 348.15 In addition to trash and chemical loads from urban sources,16 increases in fertilization on the farmland bordering the river have resulted in increases in microcystins17 and moderate eutrophication (the process by which nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizer causes algae blooms that deprive other aquatic life of oxygen).18 This is all very worrying because many areas, including the City of Buenos Aires, get their drinking water from the Río de la Plata.19
Image from the Río de la Plata waterfront 20
Whether and how the many governments with a vested interest in the Río de la Plata respond to the current environmental issues plaguing the river will be very interesting to observe. Like the problem of global climate change, the problem of pollution across a multinational river system will require countries and interest groups to work together. Hopefully, for the sake of leatherback survival and human health, this difficult goal will be realized.
