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 The
Rio Vermelho (the name vermelho, red, comes from the
red clay of the area) begins about 17km from Goias Velho
in the Serra Dourado in the region where prospectors
first found gold in 1724.
The springs along this river have been damaged over
the years not by the mining of gold, but by deforestation
and cattle with erosion and irrigation greatly reducing
the volume of water during the dry season and often
causing floods in periods of rain. Environmental
agencies estimate that 80% of the forest along the
banks of the river have been cut. Pollution by the city's
sewers is a problem as well. Several historical bridges
cross the river in the city. The Rio Vermelho is joined
by several small tributaries (Bagem, Uva, etc) and eventually
becomes an important tributary of the Araguaia
River at Aruana.
The government has plans to clean up the environmental
pollution and restore the riparian forest along the
river banks, as well as building sewage treatment
facilities for Goias Velho.
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