The rains give a respite to Catalan farmers, who demand structural solutions to the lack of water in Tarragona

He DANA pass by Catalonia – which caused floods and alterations in mobility – has led to a considerable increase in reservoir water reservesespecially in the Camp de Tarragona, where the drought has put the crop limit and has jeopardized the supply to some populations in the area.

The south of the Catalan territory was the area most affected by the passage of the DANA, where in some points it fell up to 150 liters per square meter in an hour. There were damages especially in the Móra urbanization, in Tarragona, where two families were evacuated due to flooding of their homes. It also forced to cut the A-27 in Valls due to landslides.

Despite the damage, the rains of recent days in Catalonia have given a break to Catalan farmers, especially those in the Tarragona Campwhich warn that the long-term solution to the chronic lack of water involves structural changes, such as taking advantage of regenerated water from the Reus Wastewater Treatment Plant (EDAR), as defended by the majority agrarian union in Catalonia, Unió de Pagesos.

We review the state of the Camp de Tarragona reservoirs, which until now offered an image of extreme drought. The one of Riudecanyes It has gone from less than 2% of its capacity to 17% in a week. The one of Siurana has also gone from 2% to 7% in just one week, according to data of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) on Friday.

The image of the swamp Ulldeconawhich belongs to the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, It has also changed radically in just one week. Eight days ago it was practically empty (1.1% and 0.13 hm3), but currently accumulates 6.15 cubic hectometers of water and reserves have risen to 56.2%. The reservoir is located in La Pobla de Benifassàin it Country Valenciabut it supplies water to the irrigation communities of Ulldecona and la Séniain Catalonia, apart from those of San Rafael del Rio and Rossellalready in the province of Castello.

Els Guiametsuntil now almost empty and with 6.8% last Saturday, it is already at 10.75% of its total capacity. For its part, Felix remains almost full and Ribar-red also, at 93.8%.

However, both the person responsible for Water from Unió de Pagesos in Tarragones, Martí Macías, as the person responsible for Water from Unió de Pagesos in Priorat, Jordi Aixalàdetail that it is not enough and does not ensure irrigation. “It is a respite for the towns but not for agriculture because we cannot use the water from the swamp; we only have water for a few weeks,” says Aixalà.

Maciaswho is an irrigator of the reservoir Riudecanyesexplains that “the trend is good but not enough to be sure that in summer they will have water to irrigate.” “It would have to rain all of November and December. To be calm, the swamp would have to reach the 4 hectometers of waterand there isn’t a single one,” he says.

Both Macías and Aixalà agree that the solution to the water supply problems of Siurana and Riudecanyes In the long term they go through structural works. Farmers have been warning for some time that there is no water to irrigate due to the persistent drought. In fact, it has already wreaked havoc on nut crops, such as carob, almond and hazelnut trees, olives and vineyards. In the mountain area of Prades and of Priorat “practically no hazelnuts have been harvested” and around the Riudecanyes reservoir there are 1,400 hectares where “the trees are dead”, remember Sergi Martinfarmer and national manager of nuts at Unió de Pagesos.

Works and transfers

Martín reiterates that the definitive solution for the Riudecanyes reservoir is to be able to reuse regenerated water from the wastewater treatment plant. Reus. Unió de Pagesos insists that works be accelerated in the Reus Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). He Government He promised that the works would be done urgently, but they will not be ready until 2027. “If the deadlines are not shortened, perhaps we will not have time,” says Macias, who is also spokesperson for the WWTP monitoring commission. . Martín adds that it needs to be done well due to the high concentration of salts. “If it is not mixed with drinking water, the water will be very salty and there are crops like hazelnuts that are especially sensitive. Watering a hazelnut tree with salt water is killing it,” he comments.

In the case of PrioratUntil the regenerated water arrives, the solution focuses on transferring water from other points to guarantee irrigation for farmers. Regarding the Siurana reservoir, which supplies the municipalities of the commonwealth of Topograpo (Torroja del Priorat, Poboleda, Gratallops and Porrera), would be to carry water from Ebro river -which depends on the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation (CHE)- to the reservoir. A proposal that has raised suspicions among members of the GEPEC (Group for the Study and Protection of Catalan Ecosystems), which rejects the possibility of taking the transferred water to the Siurana reservoir.

For the moment, the Catalan executive has committed to connecting the Ebro with the Guiamets reservoir in 2025. The works will cost 5.5 million and must serve to ensure irrigation in the area. Later, in 2026, a connection of the Garrigues Sud canal with the Montsant area.

Aixalà puts on the table that the swamp of Margalefwhich will soon receive water from the Ebro, “can extend its irrigation in the area of Vilella Baixathe term of the Vilella Alta and a part of Gratallops and of crythat is, the Montsant River Valley“.” “Not many works would have to be done, but the cost would increase because it would be water crossed from the Ebro but with pumping,” he comments. “In the rest of the areas the water could come from irrigation of the reservoir of Els Guiamets and of Siurana”according to Aixalà.

Aid to the sector

The Generalitat announced in mid-October that it was committed to studying a new line of aid focused specifically on the area of Priorattaking into account that the Siurana, Montsant and Riudecanyes basins They are among the most affected by the drought. The Minister of Agriculture, Oscar Ordeig, He promised to go beyond the nearly two million that it is estimated would go to the farmers of Priorat. In this sense, Aixalà explains that in Priorat they have higher production costs than in the rest of Catalonia: “Double or triple per hectare.” That is why he claims that the aid cannot be the same as the rest.

These two million are part of the package of a total of 70.8 million for all of Catalonia announced by the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illaon September 20 during a visit to Cabacés.