Drought crisis
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The Axarquía area to the east of Malaga province is still officially at the most severe level of drought, but for the first time in recent years it is set to come out of this level. On Sunday 9 March, after a long period of stagnation at 36 million cubic hectometres, it exceeded the threshold of 41.5 million cubic metres, a level it will need to maintain for four months it to be lifted out of 'severe' and into 'serious' drought level. The forecast of more rain and the subsequent runoff by Monday afternoon meant La Viñuela was on its way to 46 million cubic metres, a gain of 10 since last weekend alone.
The decision will have to be made by the Junta de Andalucía's drought committee before the summer if the levels remain above the threshold. At the next meetings technicians will have to determine whether the western Costa del Sol will pass to the normal level and Malaga city to moderate drought, the least severe phase.
Previously, La Viñuela's greatest gain had been with the second 'Dana' storm of last autumn on 13 November. The reservoir now has enough water for two years of domestic supply and it is to be expected that the reduced quota for irrigation that was made available to local farmers last summer will be increased.
During this time the Axarquía has been receiving more than a third of its supply from the Río Chíllar wells in Nerja and, for many months, 270 litres per second have been supplied by Emasa from Malaga city. Paradoxically, in recent days it has been the Axarquía's public water company Axaragua that has been supplying the city due to maintenance work on the main canal of the Guadalhorce and the Aljaima well systems.
Malaga also sends nine million cubic metres of recycled water each year for irrigation to the right bank of the Guaro River plan, which can access a total of 21 million cubic metres each year. Axaragua and the provincial authority, the Diputación de Málaga, are solving the problems of salinity due to seawater intrusion at various points in the network.
La Viñuela is the largest reservoir in Malaga province with a capacity of almost 165 million cubic metres. However, it is currently still under 28 per cent of its full level.
Just over a year ago the Junta de Andalucía built a pump system to exploit the last remaining resources of the then declared 'dead reservoir', taking into consideration that as the reserves fall, the quality of the water worsens.
The commissioning of the pumps at La Viñuela reservoir was included in the third Andalusian drought decree and meant an investment of 710,000 euros. However, in the end the pumps have never been used.
The Junta also intervened to improve the state of the reservoir's eight diversion dams, something it will do again after the autumn rains. Another key to the Axarquia's supply, the 25 million cubic metres per year desalination plant planned by Acuamed, is still in the pipeline although the first consultancy contracts have been activated. Farmers and Axaragua have formed an association to share 12 million cubic metres each per year. The financing, estimated at 100 million euros, will be provided by the central government.
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