The Guiamets reservoir, empty just three months ago, reaches 100% capacity for the second time in its history

BarcelonaThe extraordinary rainfall of recent months has filled most of Catalonia's reservoirs to capacity. The latest to reach full capacity is the Guiamets reservoir in the Priorat region. This is newsworthy because it's only the second time it has reached 100% capacity since 1978, when official records began. The first time was in May 2004, 22 years ago. This is confirmed by data from the Ebro River Basin Authority (CHE) provided to ARA by the Baix Priorat irrigation community. It's worth noting that at the beginning of December, this reservoir was only at 4% capacity, and for much of the autumn it remained at 1%. Therefore, it has gone from being empty to overflowing in just three months. This is one of the CHE's smallest reservoirs, with a capacity of barely 10 hm³. But its function is vital to the area. This facility, put into operation during the 1970s, is used primarily for agricultural irrigation and regulates the flow of the Asmat River, which flows into the Siurana. Furthermore, it is a clear indicator of the water status of this area, which was the epicenter in Catalonia of the recent and historic drought.

After years of being empty and with the land completely parched until recently, the hundreds of farmers and landowners in the area can finally breathe a sigh of relief, as these reservoirs guarantee three years of water without the need for rain. "This gives us life and saves us for the next three years," Eugeni Vecino, technical secretary of the Baix Priorat irrigation community, told ARA.

Meanwhile, the Ebro River Basin Authority (CHE) is carrying out work to repair some of the leaks in the facility that are causing "significant water losses," Vecino explained. Recently, work was completed to bring water from the Ebro River to Guiamets, a project much demanded by the irrigation community and aimed at guaranteeing irrigation water for the Baix Priorat region in the face of future droughts that could once again leave the Guiamets reservoir empty. The Catalan reservoirs managed by the Ebro River Basin Authority (CHE) are currently above 85% capacity, while those in the internal basins are over 96% full, compared to only 33% a year ago. In some cases, water is overflowing, and in others, water is being released from some facilities to make room for the large amount of water still expected from snowmelt and possible new rainfall events.