Case Study 1: Matarraña River Basin - Euwareness

Alternative chosen
Environmental
impacts
Conditions of
acceptance
Water agreement in the Matarraña river basin (April 25th 2000)
Construction of two lateral pools of 1 hm3 that will be fed with water
diverted from the Matarraña and the Ebro river
Compromise in taking into account the proposals and restrictions
imposed by the Regional government.
All parts reject the construction of wells in the higher basin (and
anywhere else where there is no social agreement about them)
The possibility of a definite solution for water regulation within the basin
is still open
A few months after the Water agreement was signed, in June, some storms palliated
the negative effects of a foreseen new drought period in summer and also relaxed the
level of conflict reached along the previous two years. In September, the Ministry of the
Environment authorised the project of the two lateral pools and the environmental
considerations proposed by the Regional government of Aragon.
In October a climatic event, completely unthinkable given the last severe dry years,
changed all the precautions against possible restrictions of water supply. A violent
downpour of 300 litres per m 2 that lasted three days caused serious floods in the
Matarraña river basin. The Pena Dam which only stored 0.5 hm 3 before the storm (5%
of capacity) reached the level of 17 hm 3 (70% of its capacity) in only 5 days, which
assures water supply for all uses for three years. The Matarraña river and some of its
tributaries (the Ulldemó, the Algàs and the Tastavins) largely rose their water level
bursting its banks and causing several floods. 250 people form the other basin
(Valderrobres and Beceite) had to be moved out of their houses, several municipalities
of the basin remained without electric supply and some roads had to be closed. In
Maella, the flood also broke the drinking water supply network. Besides, in the middle
and lower basin crops were seriously affected by the flood: 25% of the total peach crop
was lost. Total loses are valued in 6,000 million pesetas for the whole basin and the
Mancommunity of municipalities of the Matarraña river basin decided to ask the
Regional Government for some economic helps and claims for the declaration of
catastrophic area for the whole basin.
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