The station in Girona that monitors whether Barcelona takes more water than it should from the Ter River.

GironaFrom the sources of UlldeterFrom the Alt Pirineu to the mouth of the Garganta del Estartit gorge, the Ter River runs the length of the Girona region. In the late 1960s, as it crosses the border through the valleys of Central Catalonia, Francisco Franco ordered the construction of the Sau and Susqueda reservoirs to retain the flow of water descending from the mountains. This allowed him to transfer a large quantity of water from the Pasteral valley to Barcelona to supply the capital. Since then, the flow of the Ter, downstream from the dam, has been considerably reduced, especially during periods of extreme drought. when even the minimum ecological flow has been exceededThe flow rate, set at 3 cubic meters per second, is necessary for the survival of the ecosystem's species. To guarantee and monitor the river's flow, the Girona gauging station was inaugurated in 1985. It belongs to the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) and is located at the foot of the Barca Bridge, between Devesa and Fontajau. This October, the City Council named it after the politician and historian Francesc Ferrer i Gironès. Francesc Ferrer i Gironès (1935-2006) was a key figure in Girona politics during the second half of the 20th century. A staunch defender of Catalan culture and language during the Franco regime, in 1965 he was one of the founders of the Les Voltes bookstore in Girona and one of the most active voices of Òmnium Cultural in the region, operating clandestinely. In 1974, he was appointed president of the Girona Chamber of Commerce, from where he spearheaded the defense of the Ter River and strongly opposed its transfer to Barcelona, ​​denouncing its overexploitation and demanding compensation for the Girona region. Later, he pursued a political career in various parties, serving as a senator in Madrid during the Transition, as a member of Parliament, and as a city councilor, always advocating for the preservation of the Girona river.

"The current flow rate is illogical, unfair, and illegal."

The naming of the gauging station after him was promoted by the Aigua es Vida (Water is Life) platform, which has been advocating for the protection of the Ter River for years and had already put forward the name of Ferrer i Gironès in previous legislatures, until it finally came to fruition. Its president, Pau Masramon, emphasizes that the river's situation is critical: "The current flow rate is illogical, unfair, and illegal. We are in the same situation as twenty years ago. The fine words and agreements of the Ter River Roundtable have not translated into action. A national water pact is needed, and it is necessary to empirically verify what water is being transferred." He adds: "We do not have transparent information about the quantities being diverted to Barcelona; Sau and Susqueda have become the capital's water storage facilities, and the minimum flow of three cubic meters per second is an artificial, Franco-era figure from 1959 that does not guarantee the ecological viability of the Ter River. The statement concludes: "The state of the river, its fauna, flora, and fish is lamentable: its demise is practically inevitable." The environmental platform not only harshly criticizes the diversion of water to the capital but also the intensive use of the resource by bottling companies in Central Catalonia and tourism businesses on the Costa Brava.

Given this long list of grievances, Agua es Vida celebrates the fact that "a measuring point like this is being reclaimed" and that it's being done with a name that deserves to be honored: "Francisco Ferrer was tenacious and courageous, both in the Chamber of Commerce and in Parliament and the Senate. He denounced it all as a political scheme." Mayor Lluc Salellas echoes this sentiment: "This is an act to honor the figure of Francesco Ferrer and another step in the fight to ensure that this river, which is part of our identity, has a dignified ecological flow," he states.

Business leaders oppose the expropriation of water rights in Sau and Susqueda

Industrial engineer Joan Gaya, author of the book The Ter. Fingers and facts of the transfer (2020) – with a chapter dedicated entirely to this station – has thoroughly studied the history of the river and learned firsthand about the work of Ferrer i Gironès. Gaya explains that "in 1957, the mayor of Barcelona, ​​Josep Maria Porcioles, from Amer, convinced Franco that the water from the Ter River should be brought to Barcelona." That decision resulted in the Ter Law and the inauguration of the Sau and Susqueda reservoirs in 1968. "This forced the expropriation of all the water rights of the industries in the Baix Ter region that depended on hydroelectric power, and although no one listened to their complaints during the dictatorship," Gaya explains.

Ferrer i Gironès, as president of the Chamber of Commerce, took up the concerns of the affected industrial business owners and demanded that, at the very least, they be fairly compensated. "It was the visible face of an institutional demand," Gaya emphasizes.

The gauging station project began to move forward after the return to democracy, and it was decided to locate it at the Barca Bridge, just before the Ter River receives the waters of the Onyar and Galligants rivers. The Directorate General of Hydraulic Works authorized its construction, and the station was inaugurated in 1985, after almost twenty years of demands. "Since this station opened, it has become clear that this minimum flow rate has often not been met, and the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has accepted this. But the problem with the Ter River remains that we will not be able to recover its flow rate until we start sending less water to Barcelona," Gaya concludes.