Case Study 1: Matarraña River Basin - Euwareness

water scarcity problems and are developing alternative sources of social and economic
development, mainly rural tourism. In front of that, middle basin municipalities, mainly
Maella, have a strong influence in the Central Union and, ultimately, in the CHE. As
water demands are very high in this part of the river basin, mainly due to the extension
of peach crop, municipalities of the middle river basin main objective has traditionally
been the construction of regulation infrastructures securing water needs. Finally,
municipalities at the lower river basin, mainly Nonaspe and Fabara, have scarcity
problems and a low influence capacity in the decision-making processes.
Nineteen local governments around the Matarraña area also form the Mancommunity
of municipalities, which is an indirectly elected body. The mancommunity does not play
a central role in the regulation and policy processes, but is just an arena that reflects
the different objectives and resources of the municipalities of the Matarraña river basin.
As a matter of fact, in 1997 the president of the mancommunity resigned given the
difficulties to build consensus between the member municipalities regarding the
pumping project proposed by the CHE.
In the next future, the DGA will create counties in the region of Aragon. One of these
counties will be the Matarraña county. However, its geographical limits will not only
correspond to those municipalities of the river basin, but others.
The Central Union of Irrigation Communities in the Matarraña
The Central Union of Irrigation Communities in the Matarraña river basin is a central
actor in the Matarraña river basin. It was created in 1950 and nowadays it is integrated
by 39 irrigation communities belonging to ten municipalities located along the river
basin (Valderrobres, La Fresneda, Torre del Compte, Valdetormo, Calaceite,
Mazaleón, Maella, Fabara, Nonaspe and Fayón). The Central Union is the
representative body of the irrigating communities at the Matarraña river basin and is
the voice before the CHE. Its statutes regulate the election of both the president and
the directive board, and the general rules of functioning. The main task of the Central
Union is taking decisions on when and how to distribute irrigation water coming from
the Pena dam, collecting the tax from the irrigation communities to be paid to the CHE,
solving conflicts related to irrigation practices and channelling denounces to the CHE
(this is infrequent). It plays an important role in the regulative system, as the orders on
watering out the Pena dam by the CHE are taken in accordance to the Central Union.
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