Shoring up the river walls
Protective panels were damaged during the September floods
A TOTAL of €515,508 is being spent on strengthening the walls which protect Formentera del Segura from the nearby river.
A spokesman for the Segura river and water authority (CHS) explained that the work consists of demolishing old sections of the containing wall, which are being replaced with stronger structures.
He noted that up to 14 of the ‘panels’ – which each measure up to eight metres in length and some 12 metres in width – are being removed.
The old wall had been built with reinforced steel, which has corroded in recent years.
The panels had been damaged during the September floods when the level of the river rose dramatically.
The force of the water was such that the river burst through the containing wall in nearby Almoradí and swept away homes as well as engulfing a large area of the Vega Baja.
The spokesman noted that the wall not only had to bear the force of the water during intense rainfall, but also the pressure brought to bear by moving earth which was ‘pushed’ by the river.
He explained that checks on the river defences had found that protective panels were ‘in danger of falling off’ in Formentera.
The spokesman said they have to take particular care in areas such as Formentera as there are homes very close to the waterway.
“The solution is a controlled demolition of the panels and the construction of a new stonework wall,” he said.
This will be able to resist the pressure of the water ‘as if it were a dam’, noted the spokesman. The masonry will not be affected by the high salinity in this part of the river, ‘which has aggressively corroded the reinforced steel’.
The works in Formentera are expected to be completed this month, he added.
Drought 'off'
The CHS board unanimously voted on Friday to end all restrictions on farmers’ irrigation which were put in place to face up to the drought emergency that was declared in 2015.
“At the moment the situation has improved enough to take this measure,” noted a press release.
Reservoirs in the Segura basin – which serve south Alicante province, Murcia region and part of Almería – currently stand at 48% of total capacity, which is the highest level for nearly a decade.