Potential for attenuation of a stream in a subtropical region - Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil

The study and knowledge of the depuration capacity of the water resources, is necessary to preserve them. This study was objective identify the attenuation capacity of the Belo stream - Caxias do Sul - RS / Brazil, through the evaluation of physicochemical parameters, distance and slope between 4 points located along the stream. Were collected five samplings, bimonthly. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA "one way"), Tukey’s test e Pearson’s correlation. The results showed that there is an improvement in the quality of water resources from upstream to downstream of the stream. However, despite the stream have a high attenuation potential, is necessary the development of control actions to input of industrial and domestic effluents, to prevent the ecological impairment of the same. http://dx.doi.org/10.18226/23185279.v3iss1p1