Matanza River
The La Matanza River, better known as Riachuelo, is a water course of 64 kilometres at the east of Argentina, that originates in the Buenos Aires Province, defines the southern border of the Buenos Aires federal districts, and flows into the Río de la Plata. Its river mouth (Spanish Boca) gives the name to the La Boca neighbourhood, and consequently, to the Boca Juniors football club.
From its source down to La Noria Bridge on General Paz Avenue, is usually referred to as Río La Matanza, and from that point on as Riachuelo ("little river"). In its basin of 2,240 km2 live approximately 3.5 million people.
The northwest-bound windy storm known as Sudestada prevents the waters of the Riachuelo to reach the Río de la Plata, what produce frequent flooding in La Boca and Barrancas (the two lowest neighbourhoods in the city). Since 1995 a number works have been realised to prevent such situations.
The watercourse receives an important quantity of industrial waste from the numerous fabrics along it, specially from the leather processing facilities, what makes the Riachuelo one of the three most polluted rivers in the word. [citation needed] Among the most dangerous contaminants are heavy metals and sewers' water from all the saturated layers of the basin.
Its main tributaries are the Cañuelas, Chacón and Morales streams in the Buenos Aires Provinces, and the Cildánez stream (currently piped) at the Gran Buenos Aires conurban area.
In 1993 the Secretary of Environment María Julia Alsogaray presented a 3 year project to clean the Riachuelo that was approved, but never started. The former public functionary, daughter of Álvaro Alsogaray, is currently under trial for misappropriation of those public funds.