Reservoirs that bring joy: water reserves rise to 83%

BarcelonaThe episode of rain and snow that has affected much of Catalonia between Christmas Day and this Monday has caused a significant increase in river flow and, as a direct consequence, in water reserves in reservoirs. The internal basins are at 83% of their capacity, while those belonging to the Ebro basin are at 72%. These figures leave the reservoirs in a very positive situation and far removed from the situation seen in previous years. the long drought, declared over half a year ago.

This upheaval, which has been one of the most significant storms the country has experienced since the Glory The month of January 2020 has seen rainfall exceeding 200 mm in parts of the Transversal Range, Montseny, and Els Ports in the far south. The rest of the region has also experienced significant rainfall, except for the western Pyrenees and the western Pyrenees, which, as is often the case, have remained largely unaffected due to rain brought by easterly winds. At mid and high elevations in the Pyrenees, this precipitation has fallen as snow—very abundant in the eastern Pyrenees—and we are closing out the year with snow depths of over one meter in Ulldeter (2,413 m) and nearly 80 centimeters in Núria (1). These figures haven't been seen for quite some time in the month of December.

This heavy rainfall has had a direct effect on reservoirs, as so many consecutive days of abundant precipitation have caused the ground to lose its ability to retain water, facilitating a rapid increase in river flow. Those most affected were the northeastern rivers, such as the Fluvià, the Muga, and the Ter, which reached the danger threshold at some points along their courses, although without overflowing or significant incidents. The Fluvià reached a flow rate of 218.5 m³/s at Esponellà, while the Ter reached 315 m³/s at Roda de Ter, shortly before reaching the Sau reservoir. These values are far from the levels reached during the storm. GloryWhen the Ter River reached 2,137 m³/s in Colomers (Baix Empordà), causing flooding and property damage.

The reserves will increase even further

Overall, the reservoirs of the Catalan internal basins are now at 82.8%, far from the 33% they were at a year ago and already above the level reached after the spring rains of this year, which facilitated the end of the drought after three years of water shortage.

The increased flow of all rivers and streams, which has been high and sustained for several days, has been sufficient to raise the water reserves of all the reservoirs in the inland basins. Sau, the country's most emblematic reservoir, known for its church that was completely exposed during the drought, has gone from 43% to 71.5%. This percentage is expected to increase even further because more water than usual is still arriving. All of this leaves the 1.2% reserve level recorded on March 8, 2024, a distant memory.

Susqueda, the other important reservoir on the Ter River, is above 98% (representing a 10-point increase) and has been releasing water since Saturday night to accommodate the influx. The other reservoir that has benefited greatly from the easterly winds is Darnius-Boadella, in the Muga basin (Alt Empordà). In April 2024, this reservoir was at a historic low (11% of capacity). It recovered in March of this year to 36% and is currently approaching 80% of its reserves, an increase of almost 20 percentage points in just five days. However, some reservoirs still have low water levels. This is the case with Siurana, in the Priorat region, now at 16.3%, having risen only four percentage points, and Riudecanyes, in the Baix Camp region, which has gone from 34.6% to 45.5%. In the Ebro basin, we also see an increase in reserves, which were already in good condition. The Guiamets reservoir, in the Priorat region, stands out, having risen from 22.6% to 42.4%. The Ribarroja de Ebro reservoir, in the Ribera d'Ebre region, is nearing 97% capacity, Camarasa is at 88.5%, and Canelles, in the Noguera Ribagorçana region, has already reached 66%.