A trip to the reservoir of La Serena, the largest in Spain, in the midst of drought

The trip along the road EX-103 to the reservoir of La Serena, the largest in Spain and the third in Europe, flows into an immense sea of �??�??water in which the traces of the drought are evident, as it jumps to the sight during all the way by this cattle district of Badajoz.

Merida, Nov 19 (EFE) .- The trip along the road EX-103 to the reservoir of La Serena, the largest in Spain and the third in Europe, leads to an immense sea of �??�??water in which the traces of the drought, as it jumps out of sight all the way through this cattle region of Badajoz.

Once arrived at the dam, after leaving behind the town of Puebla de Alcocer, this is the water of La Serena, distributed over an area of �??�??almost 14,000 hectares until it reaches the provinces of Ciudad Real and Córdoba, with a coastline length of 530 kilometers.

Al west is his little brother the swamp of Zújar, which covers 1,587 hectares.

The reservoir of La Serena, which opened the Kings of Spain in 1990 after an investment of 11,772 million of pesetas - more than 70.5 million euros -, was designed to control the avenues of the irregular Zújar river and increase storage capacity, according to Efe the head of the exploitation, María José González, at the foot of the dam.

In fact, the capricious Zújar caused an avenue during its construction and the water surpassed the concrete blocks that are already They had raised, which forced to relieve water to be able to continue with the works.

This work of engineering drew attention because the reservoir of La Serena was raised inside the swamp del Zújar, which lost capacity when going from 700 to 300 Hm3, approximately, but in exchange it won a water raft of 3,219 Hm3.

For this purpose, an immense mass with more than 1.1 was built. million cubic meters of concrete that impresses the visitor with its 90.45 meters of height on the foundations and 580 meters of coronation length.

The interconnection of these two Dams can not be understood without the four-kilometer tunnel that was built years later between the Zújar and Orellana Reservoirs.

This conduction allows water to be transferred in both directions, depending on the needs, between the Zújar-Serena system and the Guadiana, which runs almost in parallel and which form the marshes of Cíjara, García-Sola and Orellana.

Water stored at this time and this modern regulation system make the so-called Central System of the Guadiana Hydrographic Confederation (CHG), in the east of Badajoz, be better position to face the drought that other areas of Spain. this year and 2018, which extends to the entire basin, although the area of �??�??Ciudad Real, for example, is on "alert".

La Serena faces the third drought in its history; It produced in the full phase of filling, after closing floodgates, which caused the dammed volume to fall to 2% in November 1995.

Due to criticisms that said that it never It was going to fill, in 1997 there was a symbolic unloading when reaching 86%.

The dam was filled in 2010 - after another long period without rain - and 2013, which forced to make important desembalses.

For these cases has eight gates in the upper part, eleven by eight meters, which can relieve water at a rate of 2,800 cubic meters per second in total, in addition to smaller drains of half a bottom - water is now below them - and bottom.

This drought has left La Serena, according to data this week, at 38% of its capacity, accumulate 1,223 cubic hectometres, when a year ago was at 58.2%, so there is concern among irrigators, according to Gonzalez.

The uses of the swamp for human supply, Irrigation, electricity and others have not changed and the water quality is maintained because the level has not dropped down to the sediment zone.

The routine of maintenance and safety tasks Neither has it undergone changes and they continue on the outside and inside of the farm, which has five large longitudinal galleries, two transversal and two other perimeters that add more 2.3 kilometers.

In terms of safety, possible dilatations, displacements of the blocks or water leaks are reviewed.