Water update

In an earlier blog post this week we commented on the high levels of water in the Segura river and the lack of water in the reservoir at La Pedrera, Torremendo. Well, all has been revealed in an article in the local free paper for expats The Coastrider.

Paul Mutter writes : Excess water flows through the Segura. Those of us used to the Segura river in our region being for the most part little more than a turgid flow at the best of times will have been surprised recently to notice a vastly increased flow of water along the course.  With little rain recently in the locality, the sight of the reeds, normally uncovered, being swallowed up as the river wended its way past Algorfa, left some readers asking where the extra water was coming from ?
The answer is it is being released from reservoirs further upstream which have been filled by rains in February and March to such an extent that pressure needs to be released hence the water being exhausted into the Segura to find its way eventually into the sea at Guardamar.  Having said that it has to be noted that the reservoir at La Pedrera is only currently 25 per cent full.  Commentators believe that it is the first time in many years that this has had to be done in an area usually struggling to maintain adequate supplies of water for its reservoirs for its populations and industries.
It was estimated that somewhere around 6,000 litres of water was flowing into the sea at Guardamar very second improving the oxygenation of the river as well as helping to clean out sludge and residue. Some were arguing in the local regional Spanish newspapers that it was a pity the water could not be stored and transferred to irrigate the farmers' fields in the rich agricultural valley of the Vega Baja - End of newspaper article.

In this region farmers have to pay for water to irrigate their land and so you can understand their frustration at the seemingly waste of water that could better serve a community struggling in the present economy.

There appears to be two very separate groups of fishermen using the rivers and reservoirs here for very different reasons.  The Spanish locals who fish and take what they catch from the river, presumably to eat, and the expats who fish for pleasure in the regular matches held on the rivers and reservoirs.
Both are having to adapt to the water situation, evidence of this is locals fishing the small canals along the roadside where the water is lower and not flowing as fast, and the expats travelling out of the area to hold their matches.

We spent an afternoon on the river fishing and were put to shame by an elderly Spanish gentleman on the other side of the river from us, who had obviously seen it all before and fished confidently all afternoon, leaving with a bag of fish and a satisfied smile on his face !  Locals 1 - Visitors 0



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