Laura Duckett
TIGHT water restrictions may be imposed if the region’s reservoirs don’t fill up soon.
Agricultural groups have warned that despite the recent wet weather, water supply in various parts of Andalucia is dangerously low.
The Viñuela reservoir near Malaga is only at 40% capacity, and there are fears about how the agricultural sector will be affected in summer.
Meanwhile the reservoirs in the Guadalete basin, in Cadiz, are at 58.6% capacity, compared to 65% last year, and the Cuenca Mediterranean basin is struggling at just 49.1%.
Spanish reservoirs in general are at only 59.1% capacity – much lower than normal for this time of year.
The hardest hit is the Tagus basin, in the north of Spain, which has lost a staggering 125 cubic hectometres of water, and sits at 56%.
The mild, relatively dry winter has already affected olive production, however avocado farmers are set to profit from the unseasonable weather.
I’m confused. I thought there had been excessive rain this winter? I seem to have spent the last few months being told how wet is it/was? And the reservoirs haven’t filled? Odd.