The Peixoto River Basin is located in the municipal district of Prata in the state of Minas Gerais. The area in question is within the morphosculptural group denominated The Triangulo Mineiro Residual Relief Area. The morphosculpture is characterised by the relief testimony in the form of mesas and plateaus, with great cliffs, having at their bases detritus deposits and wide, colluvial ramps. The declivity varies between 7° to 15° on the ramps and between 30° to 90° in the cliff areas, with altitudes of between 600m to 650m.

The present study, starting from the perspective of georelief, takes into consideration the geomorphologic analysis along with anthropic performance in the area leading to the disruption of the systemic balance of the landscape.

The accelerated processes of erosion are evidence of the instability of the landscape which, over the last 100 years has been experiencing man's direct action, having practically the totality of its vegetation replaced by pasture land destined for the purpose of raising cattle. The substitution of the savanna for pasture land together with the continual stamping of the ground by cattle consequently compacted the soils, adding significantly to the runoff of the pluvial waters. In this way, the speed of flow and the discharge accompanying torrential pluviometric events, characterised by its high energy potential, can affect the whole transversal profile of the fluvial gutter. Most of the channels possess intermittent segments that dry up during the prolonged dry period (May to September).

As a result, the marginal erosion processes of the drainage channels in the Peixoto River Basin set off in the last two years are striking, evidence of which has been the continuous receding of the banks, accumulation of sand in canals, waste deposits in the valleys and the jeopardizing water resources.