The actions, within the framework of the Ebro Resilience Strategy, have involved an investment of over 2 million euros.
The works of morphological adaptation and environmental restoration of the Ebro river in the “El Estajao” site, located in Alfaro (La Rioja) have come to an end. The objective of this action was to improve the morphological conditions of the riverbed, reduce the risk of flooding and, finally, carry out an environmental restoration in the meander of the same name.
This initiative is one of the four proposals designed to ameliorate the effects of flooding in the confluence zone of the Ebro and Aragón rivers, known as “Section of combined actions between Alfaro and Castejón (Navarra)”. This area includes the works carried out in the “.La Nava“., “La Roza“, “El Estajao” and “Soto de Alfaro“all of them in Alfaro; the “El Ortigosoin Milagro, and the meander of ” El Señorío “, all in Alfaro.El Señorío“in Castejón, both in Navarra.
The work at El Estajao, which has been execution period of 24 months and have had a total investment of 2,032,792 euros, began with the elimination of the remains of the productive poplar grove of 21 hectares which had been established in the meander since the 70s of the last century and which had recently been cut down.
Simultaneously, the removal of the flood defense dike that ran around the perimeter of the meander and that was a barrier to the passage of water and wildlife began. A total of 1,458 meters have been removed from the levee. The materials from these dams have been used in the construction of a new defense 500 meters further inland and with a length of 569 meters. This new defense has been built at the same height as the one eliminated, but with much steeper slopes (6:1), eliminating the barrier effect for fauna and reducing the visual and landscape impact.
The new defense serves as protection for Alfaro’s new drinking water collection facility, built by the Government of La Rioja prior to the start of the intervention. The old facility was located in an area of the meander that was highly exposed to flooding. In order to guarantee this protection, a krainer type living wall has been built at the junction of the new at the junction of the new defense with the existing one. This wall, designed using bioengineering techniques, is made of a wooden framework that absorbs the force of the water and distributes it over the land. The 98-meter structure is biodegradable and will protect the new catchment until a revegetated riverbank is established.
The final stage of this action was undertaken with the pnstallation of 21,100 specimens of plant species typical of the banks of the Ebro, such as poplars, poplars, ash trees, elmsspecies typical of the banks of the Ebro, such as poplars, poplars, ashes, elms, willows, tamarisk, hawthorns and willows, among others.
Thanks to this action, which is the result of the coordination between the Ebro Basin Hydrographic Authority (MITECO), the Government of La Rioja and the Alfaro City CouncilThe natural forms of the riverbed have been recovered, the meander of El Estajao has been restored and the risk of flooding in the section has been reduced.
Visitors will be able to learn more about the objectives and actions carried out in the El Estajao site through the informative posters that have been installed in the area.
Performance in figures
- Removal of 1,458 meters of the defense that ran along the perimeter of the meander and construction of 569 meters of a new defense set back 500 meters inland from the riverbank
- Clearing of productive poplar trees in an area of 21 ha.
- Construction of a krainer type wall, at the junction of the new defense with the previous one, with a length of 98 meters and a width of 5 meters.
- Recovery of river space: 21 hectares of land were recovered as river space, restored with the planting of 21,100 specimens of riparian species typical of the area (poplars, poplars, ashes, elms, willows, tamarisk, hawthorns, hawthorns, blackberries, etc.).