Drought crisis
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It is difficult to find solace after the heavy rains brought by last week's 'Dana' left unprecedented devastation especially in Valencia, but also areas of Malaga province. Water continues to flow through the rivers, feeding the needy reservoirs, which are on their way to a gain of 50 cubic hectometres in less than a week. That is the equivalent of the annual consumption of 750,000 people.
However, it is not possible to establish general readings or get too excited about the reservoir levels because each area of the province is in a different situation. The most positive is that of the western Costa del Sol, which is currently at normal levels, outside any drought threshold. The reservoir was at 24 hm3 before the Dana and has now gained eight more. It maintains its status as the province's fullest water reserve.
Malaga and Guadalhorce are on the verge of being upgraded from serious to severe, while in the Axarquía the situation still remains severe.
The level of water in La Concepción reservoir near Marbella needs to be maintained over time for it to be 'decreed' officially out of drought. According to the special drought plan, above 29.1 cubic hectometres in the La Concepción reservoir in November is considered normal. But this threshold is changeable and it will be necessary to monitor it carefully over the coming weeks.
The reservoir is small and by definition can never offer more than seven months of unrestricted margin. This is why the coast needs to have 30.5 hm3 of water in December, 34.3 hm3 in January; 37.4 in February, with a view to reaching 50.4 hm3 in May.
The drought thresholds vary from normal to moderate, serious and finally severe. And they are scenarios well set by the basin organisation according to complex calculations of historical rainfall and consumptions.
On Monday 4 November, the reservoir located between Marbella and Istán had around 32 cubic hectometres and was receiving runoff at a very good rate. It is fed by slightly more than half of the water that flows down the Río Verde and the rest is distributed between the contributions of the Guadalmina, Guadaiza and Guadalmansa rivers, which form a system of diversion dams and pipes to the main reservoir.
The reservoir has a capacity of 57.54 hm3 according to the latest studies. Last year maintenance of its intakes and drains was carried out to prepare it for a possible scenario of being declared a 'dead' reservoir. In any case, the different actions carried out over the years have made it possible to use practically up to the last cubic metres in the event of an emergency. Last year, in fact, it was a much more delicate moment, with half the reserves it now holds: only 16 hm3.
Another factor is the extension of the Marbella desalination plant which is coming into service in phases. It now has five of its eight lines in operation; there will be six in March and they will increase to eight in July, just in time for the summer season. The work was delayed due to the blockage of supplies during the Red Sea crisis.
According to the forecasts of Acosol, the company that supplies the water between Torremolinos and Manilva, they remain cautious and hope to continue to obtain the 90 hm3 a year that the region needs with 70% from the reservoir, 20% from the desalination plant and 10% from the wells of Fuengirola (9) and Guadalmansa (1%).
The enlargement of the reservoir is also being considered, a major project to increase the capacity of this reservoir which provides such a good response to rainfall and runoff and which, cyclically, is faced with the paradox of having to relieve the reservoir because it is full. The long-term solutions proposed are the Gibralmedina reservoir (Guadiaro river), between Malaga and Cadiz provinces, whose project has already been drawn up, and the second desalination plant on the coast, whose first studies will be undertaken by Acosol as part of its investment plan.
The reservoirs that normally supply Malaga city are Guadalteba, Guadalhorce and Conde del Guadalhorce. The Casasola reservoir, which is defensive and regulates the flows of the Campanillas (tributary on the left), is considered within the drought plan as a reinforcement for the supply. Between the four of them, they total 82 hm3, 11 hm3 above the level of severe drought and already in moderate drought.
La Viñuela reservoir in the Axarquía is far from emerging from the drought. Despite improvement over last year, it currently stores 24 hm3. It needs 41.5 to move from severe to serious. In recent days, moreover, the reservoir has again received water from Malaga city due to high levels of silt.
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