Final Trip Down Chile's Bio Bio River
"The Bio Bio in Chile has long been considered one of the world's classic white water runs. However, the very things that often make a river so attractive from a rafting or kayaking perspective (steep canyons, fast water, and big rapids) often make the same river very attractive to local dam builders. In 1994, I participated with a group of paddlers in one of the last rafting trips down the entire length of the Bio Bio just before the completion of the Pangue dam. After decades of river running, I've seen many rivers lost to the building of large dams and it's a sad and somewhat eerie experience to know that a river you enjoyed so much, and got to know so well, is no longer there."
Mark Angelo
For the past four decades river conservationist Mark Angelo has traveled on hundreds of the world's waterways, including the storied Nile, Mekong, Amazon, and Yangtze. Many of his travels and experiences are highlighted in his new
Riverworld presentation that premiered in Vancouver on September 25, and which will be held in other North American cities in coming months.
Celebrating the International Year of Fresh Water,
Riverworld focuses on river travel, the threats confronting rivers, and the plight of many river-based indigenous people and cultures throughout the world.
Angelo is the head of the Fish, Wildlife, Recreation Department at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and is an Order of Canada recipient for his river conservation efforts.
Read an
interview with Mark Angelo >>
Visit the
Riverworld Web site >>
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Image by Mark Angelo