(19 Apr 2023)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4430211
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sau Reservoir - 18 April 2023
++MUTE++
1. Dried out reservoir bed and boat
HEADLINE: Spain's Barcelona faces drought 'emergency'
2. Traveling along dried out reservoir bed to water
ANNOTATION: Barcelona and surrounding areas could face tighter water restrictions in the coming months, say authorities.
3. Dried out reservoir bed and boat
4. Dried out reservoir bed
5. Pull out from dinghies and pedalos on dried out reservoir bed
ANNOTATION: Sau is one of three reservoirs that Catalonia’s firefighters will no longer be able to use to reload water to fight wildfires.
6. Pull out from church to expanse of reservoir showing low water line
ANNOTATION: In an effort to save water, authorities successfully moved some 13 cubic hectometers of water in recent weeks.
7. General view of low water line in reservoir
STORYLINE:
Authorities in Spain’s parched northeast have warned that Barcelona and a wide surrounding area could face even tighter restrictions of water use in the coming months.
Samuel Reyes, head of Catalonia’s Water Agency that manages water resources for Spain’s northeastern corner, which is home to some 6 million people, said the area would likely be declared in a “drought emergency” by September unless forecasts for scant rain prove incorrect.
“Unless it rains in the spring and summer, there won’t be any increases in the reservoirs and we will enter a stage of emergency for the Llobregat river system sometime around September,” Reyes said.
The Ter-Llobregat River system provides the main water supply for Barcelona, Girona and other smaller towns and villages.
Spain’s government said Tuesday that its reservoirs, along with others in northern Catalonia, have shrunk to 27% of capacity. Only the reservoirs connected to the Guadalquivir River basin in southern Andalusia are worse off, at 26% of capacity.
In an effort to save every drop of water, authorities successfully moved some 13 cubic hectometers of water from Catalonia’s Sau reservoir in recent weeks.
To ensure the quality of water and avoid a massive die-off of fish, authorities culled 4,000 fish belonging to invasive species.
Sau is now one of three reservoirs that Catalonia’s firefighters have said they will no longer be able to use to reload water to fight wildfires.
Most of Spain is bracing for a difficult wildfire season with forests dry and temperatures expected to remain high after a record-hot 2022.
===========================================================
Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
