One of the Amazon River's main tributaries has dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, Brazil's geological service said Friday, reflecting a severe drought that has devastated the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the country. The level of the Negro River at the port of Manaus was at 41.5 feet on Friday, as compared with a normal level of more than 68 feet. It is the lowest point since measurements started 122 years ago, the AP reports. The previous record low level was recorded last year, but toward the end of October.
The Negro River's water level might drop even more in coming weeks based on forecasts for low rainfall in upstream regions, according to the geological service's predictions. Andre Martinelli, the agency's hydrology manager in Manaus, was quoted as saying the river was expected to continue receding until the end of the month. Water levels in Brazil's Amazon always rise and fall with its rainy and dry seasons, but the dry portion of this year has been much worse than usual. All of the major rivers in the Amazon basin are at critical levels, including the Madeira River, the Amazon River's longest tributary.
The Negro River drains about 10% of the Amazon basin and is the world's sixth largest by water volume. Manaus is the biggest city in the rainforest. The port sits near the "meeting of the waters" where the black water of the Negro meets the sandy-colored Solimoes, which also hit a record low this week, per Reuters. (More Amazon river stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
