DETERMINING THE SPRINGS OF TWO IMPORTANT RIVERS ON THE SERRAS DA JACOBINA MOUNTAINS, CHAPADA DIAMANTINA, BAHIA, BRAZIL

Resumo

The ‘Serra da Fumaça’ mountains harbor several water springs, with their most significant water body being the ‘Rio Fumaça’ river. A study conducted in 2013 proposed to identify the water springs of the Rio Fumaça and evaluate their conservation status. However, the actual location of the northernmost water spring of the Rio Fumaça river did not match the statements of that study based on relief data and satellite imagery. Knowing the actual location of water springs is essential to guarantee their conservation given the ever-growing water scarcity scenario. From this perspective, this study aimed to verify the first (northernmost) water spring of the ‘Rio Fumaça’ river; summarize the old and current risks to the water springs of the area; and propose measures to protect newly-found water springs. For that purpose, an in loco expedition was launched in September 2022 to verify the area. First, contour line maps of the region were obtained using the software QGIS version 3.16.3. GPS devices, Google Earth, and real-time Google Maps were also employed. Various waypoints were visited, filmed, and photographed during the expedition. The present results challenge the data provided by the manuscript published in 2013 about the location of the northernmost spring of the Rio Fumaça. The spring of a tributary of the Rio Aipim river was also found. All springs were threatened by human activities, and efforts should be taken to establish a Conservation Unit in the region.