Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
was illegally abstracted by farmers for
irrigation. In the first transfer, in 1985,
approximately 75 per cent of the water
transferred made it to the park, by 1994 the
quantity arriving in the park had declined
to 40 per cent (Table 20.2).
The long-term strategy was centred on the
construction of two dams to store 212 Mm 3 /
yr. These dams would collect water that could
be used to flood the park at regular intervals.
Yet the estimated external environmental and
social costs are very high.
Plate 20.1 Tablas de Daimiel, July 1998.
the natural overflow of the aquifer and for a
period was desiccated except for a small area. The
main water source for the park is now the Ciguela
River, which implies a higher saline content for
the park's waters. At present, both water quantity
and quality are key issues for the conservation of
the Tablas.
In terms of water quantity, the aquifer was
officially declared overexploited. This meant an
immediate stop on new water abstractions, the
setting up of 'Aquifer User Communities' and
the preparation of a plan to control water
abstractions. This plan identified the short-,
medium- and long-term strategy for Tablas de
Daimiel Park:
In the case of water quality, progressive water
salination of the park is reflected by a slow
invasion of halophytic plants, such as Ruppia
maritima . Eutrophic water could be the result of
diffuse pollution from the use of fertilisers
(Montes and Bifani 1993). Surface waters, in
view of aquifer overexploitation, are the only
lifelines of the park. Yet there are inherent
dangers as, for example pollution from
alpechines, a waste product of olive production,
pesticides and uncontrolled sewage discharges
into the Ciguela.
At present, none of the strategies directly
tackles the reason for overexploitation, i.e.
abstractions for irrigation from Aquifer 23 in the
perimeter of the park. The only initiative has been
a plan to compensate farmers not to irrigate,
financed under the European Union's
agrienvironment directive. In 1993 and for a
period of five years, until 1997 (now extended to
2003), compensation was paid to farmers to
The short-term strategy was based on setting
up pumps to pump water directly into the
park, approximately 18 Mm3/yr from Aquifer
23. This would allow the flooding of 600 to
1200 ha. However, salinity has affected the
efficiency of the pumping stations due to
corrosion, and only 400 ha were flooded in
the dry summer period.
Table 20.2 Water transferred from the Tagus-Segura and
received in the Tablas de Daimiel National Park.
The mid-term strategy included plans to
transfer water via the Tagus-Segura transfer,
from the Tagus catchment, along 150 km of
the Ciguela river bed, to the park. This
meant a transfer over three years of 60
Mm 3 (never more than 30 Mm 3 /yr) for
environmental purposes. However, the
Ciguela River is saline, and 20 Mm 3 /yr
cannot be compared to the aquifer
contribution before the 1970s of 200
Mm 3 /yr. Additionally, much of this transfer
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