Águas Emendadas Ecological Station

The Águas Emendadas Ecological Station is a protected area covering about 10,500 hectares of cerrado landscape with open savannas, dense scrublands, and tree-lined waterways in the Federal District. The terrain includes several lakes and streams that wind through different vegetation zones.

The area was established as a biological reserve in 1968 with about 5,000 hectares and later expanded to include additional land such as Mestre D'Armas lagoon. It gained its current status as an ecological station in 1988.

The Environmental Information Center features displays about the cerrado's plant and animal life and how different species depend on each other to survive. School groups and researchers come here to understand why protecting this region matters.

Visits and research activities require advance authorization since this is a strictly protected area with limited public access. The rainy season fills the lakes and streams, making late afternoon light ideal for observing the landscape.

During the rainy season, water streams from this site flow in opposite directions, northward toward the Amazon Basin and southward toward the Rio de la Plata Basin. This makes the ground a rare hydrological meeting point where two major river systems divide.

Location: Planaltina

Inception: 1968

GPS coordinates: -15.55900,-47.60900

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:49