The pontoons at the Mequinenza Municipal Regatta Course are being moved to facilitate the final phase of sediment removal testing.
The works will continue until the end of August, affecting the development of sporting events planned for this summer such as the Half Triathlon or the International Descent of the Cinca River
The Mequinenza Town Council has begun relocating the floating docks from the Municipal Regatta Course, located in the Capri complex opposite the Municipal Gymnasium. This relocation will facilitate the final phase of tests being carried out in the Segre riverbed to determine the optimal method for removing sediment from the Barasona reservoir's water release. This sediment rendered the sports facility unusable in the mid-90s, thus fulfilling a long-standing demand from the town. Work on this final phase will begin at the end of June and will last for at least two months.
The work is expected to affect the sporting events scheduled for July and August in the town, as the pontoons will be unavailable during that period. Specifically, the Mequinenza Half Triathlon will undergo modifications to its swimming segment, and the International Descent of the Cinca River will also be impacted. The opportunity will be taken to remove accumulated debris, primarily carried by the current, from the area where the pontoons are located, leaving the space in optimal condition. The planned work has been delayed from the initial schedule for various reasons, including fluctuations in the Riba-roja reservoir level due to rainfall and the presence of natural and other debris embedded in the mud, which has hampered the work.
The Mequinenza Town Council has decided to prioritize these tests, which began last November in the Espigón area, as they represent a large-scale project that has been long demanded and will have a significant future impact on the region. The goal is to complete them as soon as possible so that the results can be analyzed to determine a definitive solution to the unforeseen situation of the reservoir's water release, which has caused substantial losses to the town. A study commissioned by the council estimates these losses at €400 million and 1.100 jobs over the last ten years.
This pilot project, being carried out in phases, will mobilize a total of 12.700 cubic meters of sludge, using different systems, from the more than half a million cubic meters accumulated in the riverbed. The data obtained will then be used to develop a comprehensive plan to determine the optimal system for transporting the accumulated sediment downstream. The project is being conducted by the company Tragsa and is part of the "Strategy for the Integrated Management of Sediments in the Ebro River Basin District," included in the National Hydrological Plan (PHN). It is funded by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) and managed by the Ebro River Basin Authority (CHE).
