Chícamo Life project. Conservation of Aphanius iberus´ genetics stocks ( Murcia ).

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Chícamo Life project. Conservation of Aphanius iberus´ genetics stocks (Murcia ).


Factsheet: Chícamo Life project. Conservation of Aphanius iberus´ genetics stocks ( Murcia ).

General
Country ES
River Name Chícamo
Site Name Chícamo Life project. Conservation of Aphanius iberus´ genetics stocks ( Murcia ).
River Characterisation
    River typology
    Location (Lat Lon) 38.2548971803731, -0.999755859375
    Altitude mid-altitude: 200 - 800 m
    Catchment area medium: > 100 - 1000 km2
    Geology Calcareous
    National code/
    River type name
    13 mediterráneos muy mineralizados.
    Hydromorphological quality elements

    Biological quality elements
    Ecosystem Services
    EU Directives
    Pressures
    Measures
    Other
    Project size -1
    Approximate costs > 1 000 000 Euros
    Synergy SCI of the Chícamo River (SCI ES6200028)
    Status Realised
    Period of realization 1/01/2005-31/12/2008
    Evaluation Hydromorphological and ecological changes
    Implemented by Dirección General del Medio Natural (Consejería de Industria y Medio Ambiente, Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia). Grupo de Zoología Básica y Aplicada de la Universidad de Murcia


    Key features of the case study

    Site description

    Attention: the source of the following text is the Chícamo river project web site[1]:

    The Chícamo river is located within the SCI of the Chícamo River (SCI ES6200028) . There are 8 habitats of community interest. The Chícamo River rises near Macisvenda, a small village belonging to the Abanilla municipal district, one of the most arid places in Murcian Region, which gives this scenery a special peculiarity.
    It is a permanent flow river stretch with related temporary watercourses and wetlands. You can find different community plants such as Nerium oleander (Rosebay), Tamarix boveana and Tamarix canariensis ; also, some endemic plants as Sideritis leucantha and Thymus moroderi .
    In terms of fauna, stands out Spanish toothcarp ( Aphanius iberus ), the only presence of this species in continental courses in Murcian Region, and the invertebrate Coenagrion mercuriale (Southern Damselfly), both including on Annex II of Directive 92/43/CEE; as well as Himantopus himantopus ( Black-winged Stilt) , included on Annex I of Directive 79/409/CEE.
    The “Chícamo” River source is a natural river stretch with a length of bed fewer than 3.5 km , 1.5 m of average width and no more than 75 cm of depth.

    Measures selection

    Success criteria

    • Recovery of Aphanius iberus populations.
    • Increment of Aphanius iberus populations in their natural and potential areas.

    Ecological response

    Hydromorphological response

    Monitoring before and after implementation of the project

    Socio-economic aspects

    Contact person within the organization

    Extra background information

    Chícamo river permanent flow comes from the Quibas free aquifer, which has 270-310 km2 and is feed by rainwater infiltration. Only 10 km of the river maintain permanent or temporal flow, since the river nature is truly sporadic. In addition,the river stays dried downstream El Partido (at 7 km from the source), where a weir diverts the water for irrigation. Only in those places where the water from the aquifer comes up, the river regains flow, but with a higher salinity.
    The Chícamo was used for irrigation since Roman times, but the aquifer became overexploited from the 70´s. In 1973, even if the overexplotation was already known, the groundwater flow followed the natural tendency. In 1975, a division of the aquifer into two subunits was detected, coinciding with a maximum in the extraction, estimated in 25 Hm3/year. The magnitude of the extractions oscillated much between 1970 and 1990, although the amount of water extracted has always exceeded the aquifer natural rate of recharge (estimated in 2,5 Hm3/year for 1987)[2]. In 1989 the groundwater extraction was calculated in 5,98 Hm3/year, and the natural discharge into the river was estimated in 0,8 Hm3/year (1987). According to the available information the natural recharge is estimated in 5,5 Hm3/year, the natural discharge in 1 Hm3/year, and the extractions in 7,5 Hm3/year (1997)[3]. The piezometric levels descended around 120-130 m between 1970 and 1990. During the last years the levels have experienced a slight increase, but still the aquifer is fragmented into several subunits that function independently. The reduction in water extraction is due to the increment in the cost of pumping and the deterioration of the water quality. The aquifer has an average conductivity of 7,074 mS/cm (ranging from 2,200 mS/cm and 24,100 mS/cm) and an average value for nitrates of 17 mg/l (0-93 mg/l)[4]. It also suffers natural contamination of Chloride, Sodium, Magnesium, Sulphate and Calcium originated by saline materials. Nowadays the whole aquifer is affected by salinization and overexploitation, and the process for declare it offcially has been initiated by the Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura.

    Evolution of the piezometric level at the Collado del Rey sector of the Quibas aquifer

    References

    1. [1]
    2. Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, 1995 [2]
    3. DGOHCA-ITGE (1997). Catálogo de acuíferos con problemas de sobreexplotación o salinización. Predefinición del programa de actuación (convenio DGOHCA-ITGE). [3]
    4. DGOHCA-ITGE (1998). Calidad y contaminación de las aguas subterráneas. Propuestas de protección. DGOHCA-ITGE (1997). Catálogo de acuíferos con problemas de sobreexplotación o salinización. Predefinición del programa de actuación (convenio DGOHCA-ITGE). www.igme.es

    Web site of the Life Project [4]
    Dossier: Chícamo river and the Quibas aquifer [5]

    Related Measures

    Related Pressures