Rio São Francisco Natural Monument
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| Rio São Francisco Natural Monument | |
|---|---|
| Monumento Natural do Rio São Francisco | |
  | |
| Nearest city | Canindé de São Francisco, Sergipe |
| Coordinates | 9°30′53″S 38°00′12″W / 9.5147°S 38.0034°W |
| Area | 26,736 hectares (66,070 acres) |
| Designation | Natural monument |
| Created | 5 June 2009 |
| Administrator | ICMBio |
The Rio São Francisco Natural Monument (Portuguese: Monumento Natural do Rio São Francisco) is a natural monument in the states of Alagoas, Bahia and Sergipe, Brazil. It protects a section of dramatic canyons on the São Francisco River and the surrounding caatinga environment, while supporting tourism and ecotourism.
The Rio São Francisco Natural Monument is in the Caatinga biome. It has an area of 26,736 hectares (66,070 acres).[1] The conservation unit extends along both sides of the São Francisco River from the bridge between Alagoas and Bahia just below the Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex to a little north of the Xingó Dam above Canindé de São Francisco.[2] It is in parts of the municipalities of Delmiro Gouveia, Olho d'Água do Casado and Piranhas in Alagoas, Paulo Afonso in Bahia and Canindé de São Francisco in Sergipe.[3]
The area for the natural monument is semi-arid, with typical caatinga vegetation, and subject to desertification. It has sandstone formations more than a billion years old, which have their own flora and endemic species. These include the endangered blue-winged macaw (Primolius maracana) and a newly reported skink of the Mabuya genus.[4]
