A PLACE CALLED FUTALEUFU

Chile is the only country in the world to date to have privatized its water rights, signing away authority over hundreds of rivers within its borders, from the Atacama region in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south. Despite the privatization, Chileans have retained a strong interest in river conservation. Multiple battles have been won in recent years, largely thanks to local and global protest. The battle for a free-flowing Futaleufú is one example – one that can serve as an inspiration for river conservationists around the world.

WORDS: Mariann Saether PHOTOGRAPHY: Mariann Saether, John Webster

The sleepy town of Futaleufú, located deep in southern Chile, is charmingly small, in sharp contrast to the river that shares its name. Aqua waters flow wild and hectic through the surrounding valley, providing thrilling rapids for whitewater enthusiasts from all over the world. Patagonia is dominated primarily by farmers who make a living from sheep and cattle breeding, Futaleufú no exception. Local cowboys, or gauchos as they call them, still trot up and down the road on horses as they have done for decades. However, development is on the march. Entel, Chile´s largest telecommunications company, is scheduled to have phone networks up and running throughout the whole the valley in 2017, and work has already begun to connect more families to the electric grid.“Obviously development is good,” says Peruvian rafting…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, summer 2017

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