La Viñuela reservoir in Spain's Axarquia starts summer at historic low

THE Lack of rainfall has meant the La Viñuela reservoir, which supplies more than 200,000 people, has equaled its worrisome historic low.

The Viñuela reservoir is the largest in the province, with a capacity to hold more than 164 cubic hectometres of water. Now, however, it only has 15 hectometres left, equivalent to 9.2% of its capacity.

The last time the reservoir reached this historic minimum was in November 2022 and previously in 2008.

This reservoir in Axarquia supplies the whole region with drinking water, and until October last year also provided water to irrigators in the area, but no longer.

In October, after the summer, the Junta approved a total restriction on irrigators’ access to water from La Viñuela.

In addition, the water supply in the region was reduced by 20%, so that the inhabitants had 200 litres per person per day.

Both measures are still in force, as agreed at the last Drought Management Commission on June 16.

Worryingly, neither the rains in December nor those of recent weeks have led to the recovery of water resources in the area, with the reservoir holding 14.8 hectometres less than 12 months ago, where it started the summer with 24 hectometres.

At a provincial level, water scarcity concerns are high as the seven reservoirs in Malaga drop to a dangerously low 30% capacity.

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