30/09/2024 The LIFE Ebro Resilience Project starts the second phase of works to recover the functionality of the meander of the Soto de Alfaro, in La Rioja, reopening old river branches that will reconnect it with the Ebro.
The progress of this intervention has been reported through information on this website and also to the interested parties in this process.
After the summer break to comply with the environmental conditions in this Red Natura 2000 area, this nature-based intervention is resumed.
It fulfills two objectives: the environmental one, recovering the connection with the river and, therefore, the irrigation of the undergrowth and improving its general condition , and the one of adding the meander as a space for the river in order to reduce the impact of the Ebro floods.
During these months, the evolution of the meander after the interventions has been very positive, the open arms are already greening.
The action is one of the three interventions included in Zone 1 of the LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 Project (Alfaro, in La Rioja to Castejón, Navarra).
The recovered branches, in an area of 60 hectares, will act as irrigation channels for the undergrowth: it will allow the Ebro flows to enter the undergrowth with floods of 800 m3/s and not with the 1,200 m3/s that are necessary now, making the positive effect of the fluvial and floodplain space more effective and reducing the narrowing and erosion effects in the section.
This is an example of the application of nature-based solutions to reduce the risk of flooding.
Between May and June 2024, the first works were carried out in the meander lands allowed by environmental regulations, which were not expected to affect the breeding season of species, which do not have tree vegetation of interest and which are those formerly occupied by an aggregate exploitation (orange arms of the image shown below).
In summary, following the environmental conditions, the project will be developed in two phases:
- In the first phase, work has begun on land in the meander that does not have any interesting tree vegetation and which was formerly occupied by an aggregate exploitation.
- The second phase will start in September, outside the breeding periods of the species present in the riparian forests preserved in the meander.
Public participation
Public participation, exchange of ideas, analysis and information channels are intrinsic to the project. Throughout the definition phase of this action, stakeholders have been able to raise possible doubts, make proposals and receive information on this type of action.
Once the first phase of the work began, on June 18, all the members of the LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 participation spaces were invited to visit the forest, both the people involved in the three co-creation groups in the area, which bring together stakeholders and project technicians, and those who form part of the conflict transformation group.
The people who signed up for this experience toured the 60-hectare area, answered questions and put forward ideas about this type of intervention.
