AGUAS SUPERFICIALES - Proyecto Life IP-RBMP Duero

SURFACE WATER BODIES

The LIFE DUERO project has identified different areas of action within the Trabancos, Zapardiel and Arevalillo rivers, each with its own particular needs and problems, so each one has its own Action project.

However, all projects share some basic objectives: to increase the goods and services offered by aquatic systems when, through well planned and sized actions, their naturalness is increased.

In different towns within the area of the LIFE DUERO, a series of bank decanalization actions have begun with surprising and visible results in the short term. An example is the decanalizations carried out on the Zapardiel River in the towns of Lomoviejo and Tordesillas, where the river has been reconnected again with sections of its old bed.

With the recovery of the old bed the biological communities that are own will return , but it is also achieved the reconnection of the river with its vegas, in which an important socioeconomic activity depending on them is developed.

In addition, the decanalization allows the river to occupy the river space at times of flooding, favoring the fertilization of pastures and the entry of a greater amount of water into the aquifers from which the irrigation water for the crops is obtained. fertilización de pastos y la entrada de una mayor cantidad de agua hacia los acuíferos desde los que se obtiene el agua de riego para las cosechas.

On the other hand, the renaturalization of these beds and the recovery of the river space result in greater protection against floods, a pressing need in certain points of the Arevalillo river, in which the flooding phenomena of urban areas are recurrent. By providing the river with enough space, while eliminating obsolete structures such as some problematic azudes, the height of the water in the floods decreases and therefore the protection against floods increases.

ACTIONS

A1 Preparatory activities for improvement of the ecological status of surface water bodies.

According to the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the main objective is to achieve for each water body the “good status”, which means, both its ecological status and its chemical status are at least good.

Expected results:

To select the river sections to be restored.
To ensure the Hydraulic Public Domain of the total length of the river sections that are going to be restored.
To clarify the legal status of all the existing barriers in the rivers Trabancos, Zapardiel, Arevalillo and tributaries.

Reports:

Milestones:

Selection of river sections to be restored ✔
End of works of clarification of the legal status of all the existing barriers in the rivers. ✔

C1 Compliance with the EU Water Framework Directive in achieving good surface wáter status.

According to the RBMP, an Integrated Restoration Project has been planned for the rivers Trabancos, Zapardiel and Arevalillo, considering the loss of vertical, lateral and longitudinal connection, with renaturalizion actions, to re-create associated habitats and restore flood-plains to allow the achievement both, the Water Framework Directive and FD objectives. The expected results of this action in the river sections to be restored are the recovery of: - Its natural processes and all the interactions between its elements and with other systems. - Its structure, that is, all of its components and flows, with all their complexity and diversity. - Its functions in the Earth system: transport, regulation, habitat, biogeochemical cycles, etc. - Its territory, that is, its own continuous space that it should occupy so that its processes and functions can take place. - Its natural dynamics (mobility, changes, adjustments) in space and through time. - Its resilience or strength to face future impacts, its capacity to self-regulate and to self-recover. - The remaining environmental benefits that it provides to society: flood attenuation, carbon sink, landscape, natural resources, groundwater recharge, etc.

Expected results:

Permeabilisation of the 34 obstacles encountered.
A total length of 80 km of river sections will be restored.
100 Ha of plants on the riverbank.
82 km of mottles eliminated.

Reports:

Milestones:

River restoration project’s drafting ✔
Begin of the works of River restoration ✔
End of the works of Riverrestoration

C5 Heritage linked to water

This action aims to recover an item that belonged to this important heritage for public purposes like tourism or educational activities. The mill will be used as the head office during the project duration, besides being used to engage people to the project and promote sustainable and environmental approaches related to water as a renewable resource.

Expected results:

Restoration of a mill to be used as head office, nature classroom and interpretation center.
Revitalization of the economy in areas with few employment opportunities by creating new economic activities related to natural and educational eco-tourism.

Reports:

Milestones:

Inauguration of the head office “Mill of Don Alvaro de Luna” ✔

D1 Monitoring of the compliance with the EU Water Framework Directive Beneficiaries responsible for implementation.

This Action D.1 aims to assess and evaluate the results of the works planned by the concrete actions C.1: Compliance to the Water Framework Directive by achieving good surface water status and the preparatory actions A.1: Preparatory activities for improvement of the ecological status of surface wáter bodies.

Expected results:

Measure and document the effectiveness of the projected actions as compared to the initial situation, objectives and expected results.
Define a tool to check the level of fulfillment of project objectives related to river restoration activities and establish a correction method against possible divergences.
Improve the capabilities of the CHD technicians in order to develop new river restoration projects in other river of the basin.