The Chaiten Volcano erupted on May 2nd, 2008 spewing a cloud of ash that temporarily covered the far northern swath of Patagonia, including the whitewater Mecca - the Futaleufu River Valley. Chaiten, a caldera volcano, last erupted approximately 9000 years ago and was thought by many Chaiten residents to be dormant. Caught off-guard by the eruption, more than 6000 area residents were evacuated to nearby Argentina, or to Chiloe Island and Puerto Montt, Chile. The Chaiten Volcano continues to be partially active to this date, spewing mostly water vapor and small amounts of ash, however, the fallout is heavily dependent on the prevalent winds and luckily Futaleufu dodged a bullet. The community was minimally impacted by the eruption and Futaleufu has been quick to recover with residents returning to their homes and life normalizing.

Threats to the Valley
There has been an abundance of misinformation in the press about the actual situation in Futaleufu and at this point the river's biggest threat may be from the uninformed media sources and not the actual volcanic eruption. So far, news organizations reporting on the eruption have inaccurately linked the town of Chaiten to Futaleufu and its river, which are approximately 60 miles away. Futaleufu is quickly returning to normal, meanwhile Chaiten is presently uninhabitable. The extend of the damage to the Futaleufu is noticeable in its water quality and not much more. The majority of the economy in this region is based on the $7 million dollar tourism industry. If the winds stay on their normal course, the river is then likely to remain untouched and the adventure business will not be affected. Media depicting the region as covered in ash and a paradise lost are sending killing blows to the region's tourism industry and creating effective footholds for mining and dam interests.

How You Can Help
Truth is that life in the Futaleufu Valley is returning to its normal state of affairs. Many past visitors to the region have asked how they can help the Valley recuperate from its natural disaster. The answer is straight and simple. Promote Futaleufu for the jewel that is was and continues to be. Adventure tourism has not been affected by the volcanic eruption, however, regional tourism is threatened by uninformed and inadequate media coverage. You, the reader, as a part visitor to the valley, will be contacted by your friends and family, asking you about the Valley and your past trip. Our request is not for you to save the Futaleufu, but instead to inform your friends of your experience and offer them this website and our affiliates as a source of information on the quality of the region. Your support, informational or financial, is how we continue to protect the Futaleufu.

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