The LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 project continues to take decisive steps in the Osera de Ebro – Fuentes de Ebro (Zaragoza) section, where key actions are being developed to reduce the risk of flooding, improve the resilience of the territory and favor the natural dynamics of the river. The new images obtained in the Meandro de Aguilar (Zone 2) show clearly the magnitude and scope of these interventions.
A meander that recovers river space
The first of the images shows the entire Meandro de Aguilar, where the line of the new recessed defense, built further away from the riverbed, can be seen. This action, which is part of Phase 1 of the project, has made it possible:
- Remove 2,035 meters of levee and rebuild a new defense 1,598 meters farther away from the river.
- Gain river space, widening the flood plain and reducing the narrowing that aggravated floods.
- Facilitate the future environmental restoration of the soto and the creation of a new 1.4 hectare wetland around the meander.
A tighter, more integrated and resilient defense
Another of the photographs shows the new defense already built, much more laid out and with gentle slopes. This design:
- Reduces erosion and the risk of breakage.
- It integrates better into the landscape.
- It allows the river more space to dissipate energy during floods.
These defenses have been built by reusing the materials of the old dike, following sustainability criteria.
A new water inlet: reconnection with the natural area of the river
Another of the images shows the water inflow from the Ebro into one of the inner arms of the meander, a connection recovered thanks to the recessing of defenses and the creation of the new wetland. This opening:
- Generates an alternative path for flood flow, reducing pressure on the main channel.
- It improves the fluvial dynamics, allowing the river to reoccupy part of its natural space.
- Promotes biodiversity and aquifer recharge.
A lobe to halt erosion: natural technology applied to the Ebro
The last image corresponds to a lobe, a nature-based solution that has been built in an erosion area of the Osera-Fuentes section. The lobes are:
- Hydraulic cells that take advantage of the river’s own erosion to create a space where water is confined during floods.
- They function as “water cushions”, reducing the energy of the current and preventing further erosion.
- In many cases they become edge wetlands, which also act as natural nutrient filters.
General context of the actions in the Osera-Fuentes stretch
The interventions of the LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 Project in this section have allowed:
- Recover 23 hectares of river space between the Mejana del Conde and the Meandro de Aguilar.
- Create a new wetland in the Meandro de Aguilar, which improves biodiversity and water quality from agricultural surpluses and mitigates flooding.
- Eliminate 1.3 hectares of common reed, an invasive species that affected riparian vegetation.
- Adapt irrigation infrastructures and roads affected by the works.
These actions have been developed with an extensive public participation process and the consensus of the municipalities and the Irrigation Community.
Current progress: definition of LFAZ closures
In parallel to these works, the project is progressing in the definition of the closures of the Lateral Flow Buffer Zones (LFZ), one of the most innovative interventions of LIFE Ebro Resilience P1.
The AFZs are temporary flooding areas that are pre-flooded in a controlled manner moments before extraordinary floods, acting as water cushions that:
- Reduce damage and erosion.
- They allow for faster recovery after flooding.
- They facilitate the drainage of excess water.
We are currently working on:
- The definition of the 15 closures that will allow the compartmentalization of these areas.
- The conditioning of roads and irrigation ditches for their operation.
- The design of the 17 mottled recesses that will allow water to enter.
A comprehensive project to coexist with floods
All these actions -retraction of defenses, creation of wetlands, construction of lobes and development of the AFZs- respond to the same objective: to reduce the risk of flooding through nature-based solutions, giving more space to the river and improving its behavior during floods.
The Osera-Fuentes section is thus consolidated as a laboratory of river innovation, a benchmark for other Spanish and European river basins.
LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 Project
The LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 Project, which has the financial support of the LIFE Program of the European Commission, is an innovative proposal to address the phenomenon of flooding in the middle stretch of the Ebro, with a clear objective for the future: that the population and economic activities coexist with an Ebro in a good state of conservation without the inevitable floods causing significant damage.
Its partners are the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), through the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation (CHE) and the public companies TRAGSA and TRAGSATEC; the governments of La Rioja, Navarra -through Orekan-Gestión Ambiental de Navarra- and Aragón, as well as the Aragonese Water Institute.