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Spanish Vinalopó River, Pinoso district
Spain, Alicante
The Vinalopó River, which is actually more a stream, is flowing through the Alicante province, Spain. It flows from north to south and to the recent times was discharging into the Mediterranean at Salinas de Santa Pola.
But due to the water over extraction and the droughts that the zone suffers, in the lower part of its course the river has a diminished flow and fades out into a series of small irrigation channels.
- Submitted by
- Alejandro Ríos Martin
- Approved by
- Francesco Denitto, Alexey Malyshev & Philippe Chevoleau
- GPS
- 38.3836136, -1.0582480
- Geographical region
- Southern Europe
- Drainage Basin
- Mediterranean Sea
- River catchment
- Water body type
- River
- Water body name
- Vinalopó
- Water body part
- Water body course
- Middle course
- Water body: tributary of
- Tributary name
Videos above and below water
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Water Chemistry
Water information
- Water type
- fresh-water
- Water color
- Clear water
- Water transparency
- High
- Concentration of sediments
- Low
- Water temperature
- 6-12 °C
- Water flow/curent
- Slow
Chemical parameters
- pH
- 7,5-8,5
- Conductivity
- 3800-4200
- GH
- dGH
- KH
- dKH
- Dissolved Oxygen
Substrate in nature
- Sand
- Grey
- Pebble/Gravel
- Mixed
- Stone
- Grey
- Stone form
- Irregular
- Silt/Mud
- Brown
- Leaves
- Few
- Driftwood
- Few
- Submerged terrestrial vegetation
- no
Aquatic Biotope
- Date of collecting
- Collecting area
- Open water
- Water depth
- 0,5m
- Air temperature
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
Environment
- Environment
- Affected by human activity
- Affected by human activity
- Agriculture
- Agriculture
- Massive
- Pollution
- Little
- Surrounding area
The area of Pinoso has a semi-arid Mediterranean climate, but with a certain continental influence as it is located in the interior of the province of Alicante, at an altitude gradient from 568 to 555 meters above sea level. The annual average temperature is 15.4ºC and an average rainfall of 310mm with a drought in the summer and irregular rains in the autumn.
Pinoso is considered one of Spain’s richest towns, with a marble mine, thriving footwear industry, salt deposits and a booming wine and agriculture industry.
- Underwater landscape
The progressive abandonment of traditional water systems in the rural areas of Vinalopó and the consequent loss of their functionality leads to an irremediable loss of biodiversity in the region. In addition, part of these systems is associated with endorheic wetlands that generally have undergone significant processes of desiccation and destruction with the following impact on the species and the territory.
- Threats to ecology
Despite the fact that Vinalopó River is one of the most polluted rivers in Spain, which is one of the reasons why the endenmic species like Aphanius iberus are disappearing, the photos are representing the recycled wetland where is hardly any contamination.
It is important to mention that since 2003 the Pinoso City Council has been carrying out different actions for the progressive environmental and landscape recovery of the wetland.
These actions began mainly in the Prado sector and were recently expanded in the Tejera-Rodriguillo Sector by recovering the functionality of ditches and rafts. It has been restored a constant flow of surface waters and the water bodies storage.
The purchase of wetland territories by the City Council and the collaboration of environmental volunteers together with public conservation programs have contributed to the return of the endemic species, considered extinct, in the recovered natural or semi-natural environment.
Riparian zone
- Trees near the aquatic habitat
-
Few - Not identified
