Case Study 1: Matarraña River Basin - Euwareness

They may constitute in a Central
Users Junta
Collects the tax from users to be
paid to the CHE
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Central Union for the Matarraña river
basin
High level of influence regarding
decisions on the watering out of the
Pena dam and the distribution of
water
A few irrigation communities do not
pay for the tax and the remaining
communities pay for it
Regarding the CHE and the Central Unions’s functions, there are also some
disadjustments between legal aspects and real practices. The CHE has been assigned
with certain functions, including the elaboration of the Ebro river basin plan, and
regulates the Matarraña river basin: it promotes regulation works, it collects the
infrastructure tax (through the Central Union), it grants for concessions, and it registers
them in the Water Register. It also plays a more ‘policy’ role by negotiating with the
Central Union and the irrigation communities. However, the CHE is perceived in the
territory as being a bureaucracy that ignores the real problems of the river basin and
any decision it takes is perceived by many river basin actors as an undesirable
inference. To certain extent, the CHE seems to accept playing an ‘outsider’ role and
seems to prefer leaving the river basin to self-regulate. As a matter of fact, the CHE
has been passive in relation to illegal users and to the registration of concessions in the
Water Register. In addition, there is a common perception that the Central Union —and
not the CHE— is the most influential actor in the regulation of the river basin.
Finally, regarding users communities, in the municipality of Beceite, irrigation uses in
this municipality date back to the Middle Ages. There is a dozen irrigation channels in
Beceite but only three of them had regularised their concessions until fairly recently. In
February 2000, the CHE threatened these irrigation channels to create a Users Union
(as provided by the 29/1985 Water Act) otherwise they could lose their water
concessions. In March 2000 the irrigation communities in Beceite created the Water
Users Board of Beceite in order to keep their concessions. However, they are not
required to be members of the Central Union as they do not take water from the Pena
dam but from the Matarraña and the Ulldemó rivers.