Brazil’s Portos RS Races to Dredge Feitoria Channel After Extreme Weather Hits Waterways

After the extreme weather events of 2024 and 2025, which caused severe siltation in several stretches of the state waterway, Portos RS launched a task force to restore navigability and ensure the flow of strategic cargoes for Rio Grande do Sul’s economy.

Currently, the primary focus of the emergency operation is the Feitoria Channel, considered the state’s biggest logistical bottleneck at the moment. A technical survey identified a critical narrowing of the channel, preventing the passage of large vessels (over 150 meters in length and 25 meters wide) and further disrupting supply chains tied to fertilizers, brewing barley, bovine tallow, transformers, and chemical inputs.

In this context, an emergency tender for dredging the Feitoria Channel was opened on August 21, with a deadline for proposals set for the 31st. The expectation is that the project will restore the channel’s operational depth in its early stages, reestablishing commercial navigation of large vessels — considered vital for the competitiveness of the local industry — even before the work is fully completed.

Beyond the Feitoria Channel, other work fronts are underway. Dredging at the Itapuã Channel was completed in May, with the removal of 181,000 cubic meters of sediment. In the Guaíba Basin, dredging of the Pedras Brancas and Leitão channels has advanced significantly: the former is 73% complete, with 258,730.72 m³ of sediment removed, while the latter has reached 62%, with 535,121.04 m³ dredged. In the Jacuí Delta, dredging of the Furadinho Channel is scheduled to start in September, while work on the São Gonçalo Channel is expected to begin in August.

In total, Portos RS is responsible for 21 waterways spanning more than 90 km. Recovery of the waterway system is considered strategic to prevent losses to industry, preserve jobs, and ensure income generation in several regions of the state.

Source: Portos RS

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