How was the Segura decades ago? How should the river be if the hand of man had not adapted it to his needs? Not only does it seek answers to these questions, but it also intends to implement the comprehensive strategy of actions approved by the Municipal Government of Murcia, hand in hand with the UMU and the UPCT.
This is a project that has been in the works for several years, but has found its window of opportunity with the arrival of Next Generation funds, for which it is desired to apply for a subsidy of up to two million euros. “They will be awarded in competitive competition, but we have the support of the CHS and all the hopes that it will go ahead,” said the mayor of European Programs, Juan Fernando Hernández. “If that money does not arrive, we will undertake it even with our own funds,” added the mayor of Urban Planning and Ecological Transition, Andrés Guerrero.
The project seeks to act and recover the Chico de Vivillo, Molino de Funes, Molino de la Rosquilla, and Rambla de la Ventosa meanders, in the western part of the municipality. However, this ambitious environmental project would start at Vivillo, almost like a test bench for the rest, in an area of 80,500 square meters, and whose intervention would exhaust the two million requested.
This project would not only allow the recovery of the environmental values of the Segura riverbed and riverbank -for citizen enjoyment- but also, contrary to what was put forward years ago with the flood plan, it would help to control floods, according to studies by the experts who have intervened, would already allow the flows to be deposited along the way.
The mayor of Murcia, José Antonio Serrano, pointed out that “Murcia City Council begins a revolutionary strategy of actions that will transform the river environment.” These four projects have been designed with an innovative work methodology where citizen participation has been emphasized and naturalized recovery criteria have been applied to the areas where they are located. Likewise, they are developed with a profuse definition that includes hydraulic evaluation, with a basic study of flooding, with evaluation indicators of ecological function, ecosystem services and human well-being.
Serrano said that “the comprehensive nature of the proposals is noteworthy, which refers both to environmental and functional values of the riverbed and to the margins and adjoining agricultural areas, which gives it a strong innovative strategy to address territorial intervention and the recovery of a fluvial environment of great social and patrimonial relevance in the Huerta de Murcia».
Meander Chico de Vivillo
The first of the actions will be carried out on 80,500 square meters, in the Chico de Vivillo meander and its surroundings. The objectives set are the environmental improvement of the riverbed and its banks, the reduction of exposure to flood risks and the improvement of the environmental quality of the green areas of the orchard. Thus, the main characteristic of this proposal is the expansion of the channel on the old elbow that the river made. In this way, it is intended to modify the layout of the channel in its ordinary flows to recover part of the lost sinuosity, allowing to increase the morphological diversity of the environment and the generation of new habitats.
The Vivillo Meander is located on the right bank of the river, delimited by Rincón de Seca Avenue, and to the east, by the Ontines lane. It is a river terrace perfectly delimited by the unevenness of the terrain and the river. The agricultural space is dominated by citrus monocultures, polyculture of fruit trees, with or without vegetables, and pastured citrus trees, in a state of semi-abandonment.
Islands, rapids and a river beach
This action will provide a wider and more diverse river bed, allowing the river to develop natural river dynamics (creation of islands, rapids and pools that raise the quality of the water and its ecosystem functioning).
The intervention proposal seeks to transform this environment into a unique enclave within the length of the river that stands out for its environmental richness and for allowing more direct contact with the naturalized river environment. The recovery of the old elbow allows the recovery of a river beach and offers a small itinerary through the interior of the riparian forest. In addition, small rest spaces appear on the old motes next to the perimeter road, allowing non-invasive use of the river. Similarly, appropriate new connections are implemented from the surrounding road network.
On the right bank of the river, the curve generated in the riverbed will be used to condition a river beach, complementing the accesses to the sheet of water provided on the opposite bank. The combination of all these elements will promote the creation of new habitats on the riverbed due to its morphological diversity. In addition, they will encourage the mobilization of sediments and an adequate underground flow.
The tail of the Azarbe Chico del Vivillo is incorporated into the long banks generated by the expansion of the channel. This small channel continues on the banks of the riverbank with a narrow channel with a bed of gravel, leading to a visitable pool. The overflow of this leads to another channel with similar characteristics that carries the water towards the main current of the river. Thus, the importance of the irrigation network within the traditional system of the Huerta is made visible and a small characteristic corner of this particular project is configured. On the right bank of the river during this section, a lowering of the motte is proposed, which recovers the connection between the adjacent fluvial terrace and the main channel.
riverside and vegetation
Depending on the frequency with which the banks are covered in river floods, several bands of vegetation can be distinguished: flooded, wet and dry banks. For each of the bands, a selection of species has been made and the revegetation process has been defined, seeking to adapt it to the conditions of each section for the development of vegetation.
The proposal aims to house in this section, especially in the widening that occurs in the curve of the river, a riparian forest typical of these locations in natural situations. This forest would mean an important increase in biodiversity, providing a space of high environmental quality that also serves as an attraction in the alluvial valley.
Finally, depending on who owns the property, the consolidation of the slopes that delimit the fluvial terrace will be carried out or recommended. The objective will be to increase the resistance of these slopes in the event of flooding and preserve their presence in the territory as the ultimate limit of the floodable alluvial valley.
Paths and uses
The layout of the paths pursues two main objectives: good accessibility to the area from its surroundings and an interaction with the generated fluvial ecosystem that allows its enjoyment. Two large perimeter paths run along the contour of the action, similar to those that currently exist on the specks. These itineraries maintain the existing continuity along the river and allow its connection with the closest orchard lanes, where it is proposed to both create and make visible the different access points to the project. Of these two paths, the one located on the left bank of the river deviates with the extension to its old layout that is currently preserved with its own line of trees that must be preserved. For its part, the one located on the right bank will run at a lower level due to the lowering of the speck, requiring ramp sections to connect with the untouched specks.
Smaller secondary itineraries emerge from the perimeter paths that gently enter the vegetated riverbanks, generating walks through the riverside forest and allowing access to the main stream water sheet in a timely and controlled manner. The arrangement of these seeks a perception of the generated ecosystem, entering areas of leafy trees, crossing bushy areas or discovering the water with wide perspectives of the channel, among others.
The most direct connection with the water is made through a river beach on the right bank of the river and small wooden structures placed in a dispersed manner, avoiding concentrating the activity in specific points.
On the lowered speck and the fluvial terrace, some accesses to the area are proposed from Avenida Rincón de Seca and some small associated open-air living areas.
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