Ji-Paraná River

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The Ji-Paraná River, sometimes called the Machado River, is a river in western Brazil, in the state of Rondônia. It is a tributary of the Madeira River, which is part of the Amazon River system that drains into the Atlantic Ocean.

Where it starts and how long it is
The river begins at the confluence of the Pimenta Bueno and Comemoração rivers on the Parecis plateau, at about 173 meters above sea level. It flows for about 820 kilometers and then empties into the Madeira River in Rondônia, at about 43 meters above sea level.

Size and flow
The Ji-Paraná River drains a basin of roughly 76,000 square kilometers. On average, it carries about 2,100 cubic meters of water per second, with typical minimum flows around 596 m3/s and maximum flows up to 4,360 m3/s.

Where it runs and nearby places
For a large part of its course, the river runs roughly along the northeastern edge of Rondônia. The city of Ji-Paraná lies along the river.

Tributaries
Left tributaries include Pimenta Bueno, Jaru, Rolim de Moura, Muqui, Urupá, Machadinho, Juruazinho, and Preto. Right tributaries include Comemoração and São João.

Protected areas and parks in the basin
Part of the Ji-Paraná River basin is covered by Jacundá National Forest (about 221,218 hectares) and the Jaru Biological Reserve (about 346,861 hectares, established in 1984). The river forms the southern boundary of Campos Amazônicos National Park (about 961,318 hectares), created in 2006, which protects a unique patch of cerrado vegetation within the Amazon rainforest.

Note
The river is also spelled Jiparaná in some references.