70 kilometers of glass: the Pichi Leufu river near Bariloche froze

Claudio Andrade

07/13/2020 - 15:06

• Clarín.com
• Society

The Pichi Leufu river , which originates in Bariloche and empties into the Piedra del Águila reservoir, appeared frozen for much of its 70-kilometer extension as a result of the low temperatures that hit the South Line of Río Negro.

The phenomenon transformed the flow of water into a “glass” path on which some residents took advantage of walking for a while.

In recent days, temperatures of up to 23 degrees below zero and constant snow have been recorded in the area . The desolate and completely white landscape suggests a postcard from Antarctica. In certain areas, more than 30 centimeters of snow accumulated .

This watercourse is born in Bariloche as a result of the thaw and continues its thin outline crossing route 23 (which joins the Cordillera with the Atlantic Coast) and the vastness of the South Line in Río Negro, until reaching the town of Piedra del Águila in Neuquén. Its flow and its reduced amplitude contributed to its freezing, an exceptional sequence that did not occur some seven years ago .

The neighbors came to see the freezing of the Pichi Leufu river. (Courtesy Silvana Marquez / Diario Rio Negro)

A group of neighbors approached a highway bridge located 53 kilometers from Bariloche and took images that are already on social networks. They are observed in the place walking on the thick layer of ice in which the Patagonian river became.

In terms of cold and snow, this will be a season similar to those experienced in the 90s, the meteorologist Fernando Frassetto explains to Clarín . "The great snowfalls do not return, but the snowfalls that were considered normal in the 90s do," explains the specialist. " We will have snow at the base of the hills, something was not registered more than two years ago, " he adds.

Freezing of the Pichi Leufu river, in Bariloche, due to low temperatures. (Courtesy Silvana Marquez / Diario Rio Negro)

Since June 27 Bariloche and its surroundings have received abundant snow. The precipitations are evident with greater force in the South Line where the extreme temperatures are superior to those of the rest of the Río Negro.

For these hours, route 40 that connects Bariloche with El Bolsón remains closed, while route 23 is only passable with extreme caution, reported the National Highway Administration.

Snows are good news for producers throughout Patagonia who for years have endured droughts that condition the growth of grass and the feeding of their animals.

On the other hand, cities that live off tourism such as Bariloche, Villa La Angostura and San Martín de los Andes receive the "ideal" climate as a kind of irony. In the best snow season of the last 10 years there are no tourists . The coronavirus pandemic closed the doors of winter to the more than 500 thousand visitors who come to the area each year.

“Río Negro cannot bear another day. The tourist activity does not resist one more day. We cannot continue waiting for the parliamentary times, we urgently need a Tourist Emergency Law with measures that meet real needs. Tourism activity has silently contributed to the economy of this province and the country, year after year, crisis after crisis. Today we are the ones who need help, ”indicated the Río Negro Tourism Chamber and the Bariloche Tourism Chamber in a note sent to the National Chamber of Deputies. Last week the legislators of the Tourism Commission discussed the draft of the National Tourist Emergency Law that ended up obtaining the majority.

However, the businessmen assure that the project is not enough to alleviate the harsh reality that the activity supports. "The project that finally obtained a majority in the Chamber of Deputies does not serve this situation. It may be a good plan for the day after, but for that, we need the tourist activity to survive, "concluded the president of the Chamber of Tourism of Bariloche, Belén García Bertone.

Freezing of the Pichi Leufu river, in Bariloche, due to the low temperatures registered in the area. (Courtesy Silvana Marquez / Diario Rio Negro)

"The private sector is furious with the deputies," an important source of the business confirms to Clarín .

On June 23 last, the governor of Río Negro decreed the Tourist Emergency Law for 180 days and on the 26th of the same month, Bariloche was declared an "Economic and Social Disaster Zone".

Bariloche. Special.

DD