Lagoa dos Patos is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandbar about 5 miles (8 kilometers) wide. The Jacuí-Guaíba and Camaquã Rivers empty into it, while the navigable São Gonçalo Channel, which enters Lagoa dos Patos near the town of Pelotas, connects Lagoa dos Patos to Lagoa Mirim to the south.[1] The Rio Grande, at the south end of Lagoa dos Patos, forms the outlet to the Atlantic.[1]