Tebicuarymà River
The Tebicuarymà River is a river in the Paraguarà Department of Paraguay. It is a tributary of the Tebicuary River, which itself is a tributary of the Paraguay River. The Tebicuarymà River faces challenges such as flooding during heavy rains and industrial pollution.
Geography
The Tebicuarymà River makes up the upper portion of the Tebicuary River drainage basin, running from its source in the Ybytyruzú Mountains to its intersection with the Tebicuary at Villa Florida. The upper drainage basin has a surface area of 720,600 hectares and its human population is around 170,000, including many small farmers and some larger landowners.Challenges
Native wildlife of the Tebicuarymà River, including the fish species Pimelodus maculatus, Synbranchus marmoratus, Astyanax bimaculatus, and Hoplias malabaricus, have excessive levels of mercury due to nearby gold mining which began in 1996.In 2015, local residents complained about waste dumping from sugar production in the area of the Tebicuarymà River. In 2016, criminal charges were filed against the general manager of Azucarera Paraguaya for allowing pollution of the Tebicuarymà River that resulted in fish kills.
In March 2019, flooding of the Tebicuarymà River displaced between 250 and 300 local residents. Flooding in 2022 caused shortages of freshwater due to overloading local water treatment capacity. Flooding of the Tebicuarymà River also has the potential to disrupt pilgrimages to the Marian devotion of Itapé, with thousands making the annual pilgrimage even during torrential conditions.