Last week there was one of the most tense moments when on October 29 the situation of the DANA was evaluated in a meeting between the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation and the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community. At this time, around 10:30 in the morning, it was already recognized that there were some channels and municipalities affected by the rains..
Around 6 in the morning things were very different and the Forata dam, which is located between Buñol and Cofrente, with a capacity of 37 hectometers of capacity (a cubic hectometer is one billion liters of water) barely added up to 0. 17 hectometers of the total. At 12 it would reach 5.69 and then there would be hours of work and a lot of tension.
Hours passed and an intense rain that did not seem to stop was filling the capacity of the dam. At 3:00 p.m. it had already reached 10.11 cubic hectometerstwo hours later he would arrive at the 24.90Let us remember that the historical maximum had been recorded at 26 cubic hectometers in 1971. This time the amount would be much larger. The role that Forata has played in this DANA has been decisive in minimizing the ravages of the water that entered at 2 million liters per second.
In the early morning of the 30th at 1.30 its level had exceeded the maximum with 37.30 of the totalbut the work of its workers made the dam resist and avoid an even greater tragedy.
However, they not only had to manage the operation of this contingency wall, but they also fought against the fake news. Around 8:00 p.m. a message that was presented as official was shared on social networks.: “The Hydrographic Confederation announces that it will release water from the Forata reservoir by opening its floodgates and the flows of both the Magro River and the Mijares River will increase considerably. We ask the residents who live nearby to be very alert, even leaving there”, he quickly had to deny himself.
The nightmare seemed to end at 1:48, when this time they shared an official message: “At the moment the level of the Forata dam is falling, although it continues to evacuate a flow of about 900 cubic meters (900,000 liters) per second.”
A titanic task in which other smaller reservoirs participated, such as La Toba, which rose from 3.99 cubic hectometers (41.12% of its capacity) to 7.93 (81.79%); Regajo, from 1.11 (18.48%) to 3.66 (61%); María Cristina, from 0.72 (3.91%) to 5.87 (31.9%); Sichar, from 14.78 (29.99%) to 20.62 (41.82%); Loriguilla, from 22.79 cubic hectometers (31.2%) to 38.73 (52.9%) and the Buseo reservoir, which went from 0.77 cubic hectometers (10.23% of its capacity) to 8.54 cubic hectometers (113.86% of its capacity). Thanks to the management of its professional technicians and the structures of these engineering works, a much worse situation could be avoided.
The history of the Forata dam
It is located on the Júcar River and was erected with the purpose of regulating the flow and improving irrigation in the region. Its construction began in 1969 as part of an ambitious plan to improve the hydraulic infrastructure of the Júcar basin, which had always been crucial for the region’s agriculture.
Over the years, the dam has undergone various renovations and improvements. During its useful life, the infrastructure has been subjected to inspections and maintenance works to ensure its safe and efficient operation.
In addition to its irrigation function, the Forata Dam has become a point of interest for its landscape and natural environment, offering opportunities for recreational activities such as hiking and fishing. The structure has withstood various climatic conditions, including severe droughts and periods of torrential rain, maintaining its key role in flood control in the Júcar basin.
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