Cristina Hodgson
THE reservoir levels in Malaga are starting to rise for the first time after nine months of water crisis.
The arrival of the first significant rains, in terms of quantity and duration of rainfall, is beginning to be felt in the reservoirs of the province with the downward trend in water levels finally reversed.
For the first time in nine months, five of the province’s seven reservoirs have registered gains in their water reserves, including the Viñuela, which just 10 days ago equalled its all-time low.
According to data collected this Saturday, December 10, by the regional government’s Hidrosur system, Hidrosur SAIH, the current levels of the reservoirs in Malaga, (as of 11 pm Saturday December 10) is as follows:
La Viñuela: The water level has risen to 15.37 hectometres this Saturday at 11pm, after equalling its all-time low at the start of the month, when the water level of Malaga’s biggest reservoir hovered just above 15 hectometres.
La Concepcion: The reservoir on the Costa del Sol, is also gaining reserves, with 28.90 hectometres, compared to 27.24 hectometres on December 3.
The Guadalhorce and Conde del Guadalhorce reservoirs: Both have gained water levels, rising from 40.89 to 41.61 hectometres, and from 17.13 to 17.18 hectometres respectively. Unfortunately, both reservoirs still remain well below 35% of their capacity.
The Casasola reservoir: Has gone up from 10.31 to 10.45 hectometres.
The Limonero reservoir: Mainly used to regulate the flow of the Guadalmedina, is actually still registering a deficit, having gone from 9.09 down to 9.05 hectometres.
Guadalteba reservoir: Likewise, has gone from 85.24 down to 84.75 hectometres in a week.
On average, the province’s reservoirs are at 33.90% of their capacity, gaining 0.5% after the recent rains, a figure that will increase over the next few days as the runoff from the rains continues to flow into the reservoirs and the forecasts for more rain this week are maintained.
These figures are, however, just the beginning of a long road to recover the optimum level of these reservoirs, which have lost a lot of water after two years with insufficient rainfall to replenish all that is spent.
READ MORE:
Spain’s Malaga reservoir levels—specifically La Concepcion—start to rise after heavy rain
DROUGHT CRISIS: Viñuela reservoir in Spain’s Malaga equals all-time low
