It is one of the two main and largest irrigation channels for the Murcian orchard, which crosses the south of the valley from west to east.
The Villa de Aljucer Youth Association (AJVA) denounced this Tuesday the inclusion of the main Alquibla irrigation channel, declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC), in the
red list of the Spanish Heritage in Danger of the Hispania Nostra Association. As they point out, the two-kilometre section between the railway and the Torres Canal in Aljucer presents “serious widespread damage” and “risk of rendering it unusable.”
The main irrigation channel Alquibla or Barreras is one of the two main and largest irrigation channels in the Huerta de Murcia, which crosses the south of the valley from west to east. Located on the right bank of the Segura River, it takes its waters from the Contraparada weir in the midday area, irrigates the orchards and provides water to the gunpowder factory and the Alcantarilla wheel, continues through the southern area of Puebla de Soto and its orchard crosses the Alcantarilla-Murcia road and the railway line underground. Following its route to the east of San Ginés, it crosses the center of Aljucer and continues parallel to the Aljucer-Murcia road until it reaches the area called Las Barracas, before reaching the Ronda Sur junction of the motorway. From this area it takes the name of Alfande ditch. From the source to the Barracas there is an approximate distance of 11,600 meters.
The section included in the Red List runs from Nonduermas, after crossing under the railway, then passes through Era Alta and San Ginés and reaches Aljucer, conserving several masonry walls and vegetation. The ditch was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest with the category of Place of Ethnographic Interest, initiated by Resolution of July 31, 2019. The PGOU also generically protects the ditch beds and their associated vegetation.
The section studied and indicated above has a length of about two kilometers, and its poor state of conservation is “seriously worrying, as well as representative of the general poor conservation of this irrigation channel,” AJVA sources pointed out.
“In the two kilometers between the railway line and the end of the Canal de Torres road, subsidence is documented; masonry wall collapses; reduction of channel capacity; landslides; loss of vegetation; burning of quijeros; occupancies with electrical towers; garbage accumulation; lack of maintenance and cleaning; loss of riparian vegetation; presence of polluting materials such as rubble, construction spills and asbestos cement (asbestos); and other visible damage,” the association denounced in a statement.
AJVA explained that “four large subsidences of the masonry walls have been reported to the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, in addition to various points with subsidence and collapse, mainly in the Quilinos neighborhood, Párragas Carril, Vizconde Carril and Canal de Torres Carril. ».
In addition, “these subsidences have been worsening in recent years, producing a widespread collapse of the historic masonry walls and endangering the conservation of the quijeros, as well as the proper functioning and operability of the channel, both for irrigation and for distribution. to minor ditches or the function of evacuation of water in case of floods».
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