It is part of a flood protection system consisting of 68 km of external and internal dikes, 14 metal gates and 19 pumping stations.
[2] The wall represents only 4% of the protective dikes' width and is located along the Navegantes Canal, a part of the Jacuí River Delta.
The system was built in order to avoid catastrophe similar to the flood of 1941.
[3][4] As an alternative to the permanent wall, a modular stoplog system based on bleachers has been proposed.
[5] In addition to the wall, the system has macro-drainage channels (such as Arroio Dilúvio and Arroio Cavalhada streams) and dikes set up under Beira-Rio (to the south) and Presidente Castello Branco avenues (to the north).