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The Machadinho Hydroelectric Power Plant, which is always concerned with preserving the environment in thearea in which it operates, develops projects that ensure its harmonious coexistence with the whole of the region’s ecosystem.
Its Operating License, which was issued by the environmental agency, was renewed in 2007 and contains 42 requirements, was rectified in April 2011 and currently contains 23 requirements that are associated with monitoring initiatives:
- Water quality;
- Fish monitoring;
- Activities for recovering the waterside vegetation strip;
- Monitoring the climate, seismology and hydro-sediment.
One of the highlights in the area of sustainability and the environmentis the Environment and Sustainability Week that takes place every year in the region, when thelocal public can take part in talks, courses, cultural events and training relating to the sustainability area.
Recovering the waterside vegetation strip
The ecological restoration project of the waterside vegetation strip started in 2010, thegoal being to plant 100,000 saplings.
Planting native species is an integral part of the specific program developed by the Machadinho Consortium in a partnership with the Department of Ecology of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), the objective of which is to of recover the vegetation of some 6% of the Permanent Preservation Area e (APP), which still has no vegetation cover.
In order for the restoration to occur in a natural way the researchers from UFRGS chose to plant saplings of species with different characteristics, like their light-tolerance and period of flowering and bearing fruit. By reintroducing species that flower and bear fruit at different times of the year, themethodologyhelps make food available for native animals and this in turn facilitates the restoration of ecological processes. The diversity of sapling species planted is another objective of the project: in allsome 80 speciesof trees have been planted in the waterside vegetation strip area.
In addition to planting in the location itself saplings are also donated to the community surrounding the Machadinhohydropower plant in order to promote environmentalconservation.
Environmental Teacher TrainingProgram (PFEA)
The Environmental Teacher Training Program (PFEA), which focuses on training multipliers, was structured so that teachers could extend their knowledge of the environmental areaso they can identify and analyze teaching practices that contribute to its disclosure. Developed in partnership with public authorities and the communities surrounding the Machadinho power plant, the PFEA has already trained 60 teachers from the region allowing them to adapt their knowledge about the environment to the local reality.
Releasing fish
In March 2011, the Machadinho Consortium, in a partnership with the Freshwater Fish Biology and Breeding Laboratory of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (LAPAD-UFSC) released 1500 fish of 3 species that are native to the basin of the Uruguai River; 1000 piavas (Leporinus obtusidens), 200 golden dorados (Salminus brasiliensis) and 300 suruvis [catfish].
Unlike other releases in 2004 and 2007, the fish were marked in their skeleton, using a special technique that it is only possible to identify by means of a laboratory analysis of the bones of the head.
These releases that have taken place since 2004 are going to increase the fish population in the power plant lake, thus contributing to preservation of the species.
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