FRIEND OF THE FEARLESS

El Rio Diamanté Classico, Argentina's finest Whitewater river, is in danger. But this 30 km stretch of emerald green big water would have never existed without a dam.

By Ben Stookesberry

SILVIO'S DIAMOND IN THE DESERT One hundred twenty years ago, San Rafael was an oasis between two big rivers roaring out of the High Andes of Central Argentina, their mighty canyons opening into a verdant valley. Dirt tracks wandered into a waterless desert, requiring days, if not weeks, to transport goods to and from nearby towns. A dozen or so vineyards flourished, and slowly but surely, a growing demand for international export increased the demand for sediment-rich river water. When the railroad came to town in 1909, the number of wine producers had grown to more than 1500, and Argentina had become a top ten global economic powerhouse. By the 1940s, the area’s first major hydroelectric facility had dewatered the 60 km-long Atuel Canyon and turned it into the country’s largest…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2023

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