The Dam Of The Itajaí-Mirim River In Botuverá Returned To The Center Of The State Strategy After Technical Adjustments Reduced Costs And Liberated The Suspended Bid. With An Estimated Value Of R$ 152.913 Million, The Project Aims To Protect Vulnerable Cities, Provide A More Efficient Response To Floods, And Lower The Risk Of Historical Recurring Losses.
The dam of the Itajaí-Mirim River in Botuverá resumed the contracting process after a technical review reconfigured the budget and removed the points that had stalled the public notice. With this, Santa Catarina has put back on track a project considered central to reducing the impacts of floods in the Itajaí Valley.
The turnaround occurred after the Santa Catarina Court of Auditors revoked the cautionary measure that kept the bidding process suspended. The process resumed with a new estimated total cost of R$ 152.913 million, calculated savings of R$ 6.657.109,06, and a declared focus on benefiting around 450,000 residents of municipalities directly affected by the floods.
How The Dam Bidding Was Released In The Court Of Auditors

The cautionary suspension had been determined in December 2025 when the technical analysis pointed out inconsistencies that could compromise the economic security of the contract. Among the identified problems were the methodology for calculating the risk rate and the contingency reserve, the composition of local administration costs, and the lack of specification of the contractual adjustment index.
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With the interruption of the process, the state departments of Infrastructure and Mobility and Civil Protection and Defense submitted revisions, supplementary documents, and formal adjustments.
The release was not automatic or political, but conditioned to the technical correction of the public notice, which allowed the Court to lift the block and authorize the resumption of the public bidding process.
What Changed In The Budget And Why There Was A Savings Of R$ 6.6 Million
The announced savings result from corrections to the budgeting design of the bidding process. In practice, the adjustments reduced the risk of overpricing and aligned the public notice with the technical parameters required by the controlling body. The reported fiscal gain of R$ 6.657.109,06 positions the project at a more consistent level for contracting.
The estimated total value of the dam has changed to R$ 152.913 million, maintaining the scope of the project but with a rebalancing of critical cost components.
This point is decisive because it combines two public requirements that often clash: financial viability and technical robustness. When both fronts converge, the chance of a new legal blockage tends to decrease.
Where The Dam Acts And Who Should Feel The Practical Effects
Located in Botuverá, the structure acts on the flow of the Itajaí-Mirim River, a hydrological axis that directly influences municipalities like Brusque and Itajaí.
The proposal is to reduce the recurrence and intensity of damage caused by floods, with expected impact on housing, commerce, urban logistics, and the functioning of essential services.
According to the state government, the projected social reach is about 450,000 people. This is not just about hydraulic engineering, but about predictability for those who have lived for decades with material losses and successive interruptions. In regions marked by repeated extreme events, predictability is also an economic and social asset.
Why The Project Entered The Center Of The Strategy Against Floods In Santa Catarina
The dam is presented as part of a broader package for protection and civil defense. Besides it, the State includes the construction of another structure in Mirim Doce and interventions in existing dams in Ituporanga, Taió, and José Boiteux, signaling a regional, not isolated response to critical hydrological events.
In the case of Botuverá, the contracting will be integrated, a model in which the same company handles both the executive project and the execution of the work.
The contracted timeframe is 30 months, funded by the State Fund for Protection and Civil Defense. This arrangement concentrates responsibilities and may accelerate stages, but it also requires continuous oversight to keep costs, schedules, and quality under control.
The resumption of the dam places the Itajaí Valley in front of a real possibility of reducing historical damages without ignoring the demands for public control.
Now, the challenge moves from the bidding phase to the execution phase, where the actual result depends on technical discipline and ongoing transparency.
In your city, what should come first to tackle recurring floods: a new dam, modernization of old structures, or enhanced alerts and urban drainage? I want to read concrete local experiences, especially from those who have faced losses during floods.

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